Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

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Scan 43

A dictionary of violin makers

30 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.

1many instruments, and is said to have been superior as a maker to his three brothers; but some violins are of poor workmanship. Label: "Joannes Gagliano nepos Januarii, fecit Neapoli, 18—." He had two sons, Raffaele and Antonio.
3Gagliano, Giuseppe and Antonio, second and third sons of Nicola, lived at Naples. Giuseppe, b. 1726, Naples; d. 1793. Antonio's dates are not known. Their work was ordinary, but they made some good cithers and mandolines; also some violins, of which one dated Naples, 1789, was sold for £20 in 1852. Label: "Joseph et Antonius Gagliano, fecit anno 1787, in platea dicta Ceriglio."
5Gagliano, Nicola, eldest son of Alessandro, b. about 1675, at Naples; d. there about 1745. His instruments are smaller and narrower and his work is superior to that of his father, for he copied the pattern of Stradivari very cleverly, both in outline, in thicknesses, and in arching. His varnish is very transparent and rather deep in colour, the tone is very brilliant, the scroll is generally well-cut; round the purfling is sometimes an ornamentation of diamond and lozenge-shaped pieces of ebony; he also sometimes copied the Maggini design on the centre of the back of his violins. He made a great many violins, violas, and violoncellos, the latter being especially good, with a fine rich varnish, not often seen on instruments of the Gagliano family. A certain number of his instruments contain spurious labels of Stradivari, others have his own label: "Nicolaus Gagliano filius Alexandri, fecit Neap., 17—," or "Nicolai Gagliano, fecit in Napoli, 1711." He had four sons, all makers—Ferdinando, Giuseppe, Antonio, and Giovanni.
7Gagliano, Raffaele and Antonio, sons of Giovanni, grandsons of Nicola. The dates of births are unknown; Raffaele d. Dec. 9, 1857, and Antonio June 27, 1860. They worked together in Naples, but their instruments are inferior. After a few years they confined themselves to manufacturing strings, their factory becoming one of the best in Italy.
9Gagliano, Vincenzo, son of Raffaele, d. about 1886, was the last of this family, and never made instruments, but continued the manufacture of strings at Naples.
11Gaillard-Lajoue, J. B. A maker at Mirecourt, d. about 1870. First an apprentice and then first workman in the workshop of Gand. About 1852 he started his own business, and in 1855 obtained a medal at the Paris Exhibition. He made a great many violins, of fairly good proportions; the varnish was rather harsh, but the tone was good.
13Gairoud, Louis. A maker at Nantes about 1740-70.
15Galbani, Piero. A maker in Florence in 1640.
17Galbicellis, G. B. Working in Florence, 1757.
19Galbusera, Carlo Antonio. At first an officer in the Italian army, then settled in Milan, and began to construct instruments on the principles of François Chanot. In 1832 he was awarded a silver medal by the Milan Academy of Sciences for a violin very similar to that of Chanot; it was a sort of violin-guitar, with the stringing, sound-holes, scroll, and borders of an ordinary violin; but recalled a guitar in having no corners and in the lessened curve of its outline. Although completely ignored now, it was considered such a great success at the time that the Leipzig paper, the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung (Dec. 23, 1832), concluded a laudatory article by saying "It is indeed surprising that it should have taken centuries to give the violin this more simple form."
21Galerzena. Was working in Piedmont in 1790.
23Galland, Jean. A maker in Paris, rue St.-Honoré, about 1744-50. He died before 1761. His widow continued the business at the same address till about 1779.
25Galram, Joachim Joseph. He was working in Lisbon in 1769. In some violins and altos, four instruments altogether, of very good workmanship, with yellow varnish, which formed part of the private collection of King Louis of Portugal, was found the following label: "Joachim Josef Galram, fecit Olesiponœ, 1769."
27Galtani, Rocco. Working in Florence in the 17th century.
29Gand, Charles Adolphe, eldest son of Charles François Gand, b. Dec. 11, 1812, Paris; d. Jan. 24, 1866. Pupil of his father, succeeded him in 1845. He had great knowledge of old instruments and cleverly repaired them; he made few new instruments, but they show good and sound workmanship. Was appointed "Luthier de la musique du Roi et du Conservatoire de

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