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

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Scan 66

A dictionary of violin makers, 1896

17 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 58. See the scan on archive.org.

1good instruments about 1780; used yellow-brown varnish.
2Lolio, Giambattista. A maker in Bergamo in the 18th century.
3Loly, Jacopo. Was working in Naples in 1627; followed the pattern of Grancino; used yellow varnish; his instruments were not arched, and the wood was of too hard a quality. He made some large-sized tenors.
4Longman and Broderip were not violin makers, but were instrument sellers in Cheapside, London, about 1760, and many of the instruments they sold, marked with their name, were made for the firm by Benjamin Banks, or Jay.
5Lorenzini, Gaspare. A maker in Piacenza in the 18th century.
6Lott, George Frederick, eldest son of John Frederick Lott, sen.; b. 1800, London; d. there, 1868. He was an excellent workman and was for a long time employed by Davis, of Coventry Street, London. He copied Italian instruments with great cleverness.
7Lott, John Frederick, sen., b. 1775, Germany; d. April 13, 1853, London, and was buried in the Churchyard of St. Giles-in-the-Fields. While still young came to England and settled in London. He was first a chair-maker; but forming a friendship with Fendt, he began to work at violin making under Thomas Dodd, in March, 1798. He showed great ability and made many excellent violoncellos and basses for Thomas Dodd, in which were inserted the latter's labels. He was especially famed for his double-basses, which rival Italian instruments; the work is beautifully finished, both inside and out; the scrolls are well cut, but the varnish is not of good quality. His two sons, George Frederick and John Frederick, were both makers.
8Lott, John Frederick, second son of John Frederick Lott, sen.; d. 1871. He worked for Davis, of Coventry Street, London, and made skilful imitations of Italian instruments.
9Lotz, Theodor. A maker of good violins in Pressburg, 1730-40.
10Louis. There was a maker of this name in Geneva.
11Louvet, Jean, brother of Pierre Louvet. He worked in Paris about 1730-60. His violins were not well made; they were varnished brown. He chiefly made hurdy-gurdys and harps, and was one of the first to make pedal-harps. In the Paris Conservatoire Collection are two hurdy-gurdys, one dated 1733, made by Louvet, rue Grenier St.-Lazare; the other with the label: "Fait par Jean Louvet rue de la Croix-des-petits-Champs, près la porte St.-Honoré, Paris, 1750." In an alto was the label: "Louvet à la Vielle Royale rue Croix-des-petits-Champs à côté de la Porte Saint-Honoré à Paris, 1755"; a similar label in a hurdy-gurdy was dated 1757.
12Louvet, Pierre, brother of Jean Louvet; also worked in Paris about 1740-85. He chiefly made harps, which he signed "P. Louvet à Paris"; but a five-stringed viol is known, and two hurdy-gurdys, one, dated 1750, is prettily ornamented, the other is in the Paris Conservatoire Collection and has this label: "Fait par P. Louvet, rue Montmartre à Paris, à la Vielle Royale, juin, 1747." He later moved to the rue St.-Denis, and was still there in 1783.
13Ludici (Ludge), Geronimo Pietro. An amateur maker, working in Conegliano in 1709. Label: "Hieronymus Petrus de Ludice anima causa faciebat Conegliani, A.D. 1709."
14Lugloni, Giuseppe. A maker in Venice in 1777.
15Lupo, Pietro, of Antwerp. In 1559 he is said to have sold to a musician sent by the town of Utrecht, "five violins enclosed in their case," for the sum of £72. The services of a professional player were called in, so that the quality of tone of the instruments might be fairly judged, before the sale was concluded, and for this and for the wine drunk on the occasion £6 more were paid.
16Lupot, François, son of Laurent Lupot; b. 1736, Plombières; d. 1804, Paris. First worked with his father at Lunéville (1751-56), was appointed Court maker by the Duke of Württemberg, and for ten years (1758-68) lived and worked at Stuttgart. A document is still extant, signed by Jomelli, Director of Music to the Duke, attesting to François having satisfactorily fulfilled his duties for ten consecutive years up to the date at which he was leaving—June 16, 1768. He then moved to Orléans, rue Sainte-Catherine, probably to join his father; but in 1794 went to Paris with his son Nicolas and remained there till his death. His work shows great ability and is superior to that of Laurent and Jean Lupot; he was certainly one of the best French makers of his time, and is said to have been a pupil of Giuseppe Guarneri. He made

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