Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 286
Scan 286
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
37 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 260. See the scan on archive.org.
1IV. A. Violin and Bow Makers—Period about 1845-1935 (Continued)
3Addresses from Boston Business Directories
5Names of Firms and Information About the Firms
71899—[address hidden]
81932—[address hidden]
10TREFFLÉ GERVAIS 7
11Conducted his own shop from about 1899 into 1934.
12Mr. Gervais was born Nov. 2, 1863, in Canada of French parents who moved to Boston in 1877. He made his first violin of wood he bought from a lumber yard, because he was fond of music and could not afford to buy one. His fifth instrument interested Elias Howe so that the latter employed him in 1885 and 1886. He also worked for Asa Warren White, making violins and bows, a year for Orin Weeman and two years for J. B. Squier.
13Henri Poidras described him in 1928 as "he derives a well earned reputation from his much esteemed works."[address hidden] to 1932 he had made thirty-seven violins, two violas and one violoncello all to order. He followed a Guarnerius model almost exclusively because of the beauty of its well rounded lines. The label used in his instruments is reproduced on plate XXII and one of his violins on plate XXXV in Bachmann's An Encyclopedia of the Violin.9
151878-1901—[address hidden]
161902-04—[address hidden]
18L (EONARD) O. GROVER
19Music teacher first, listed as violin repairer 1878-1904 for himself. Worked for Thompson & Odell as repairer.
20Made some fair instruments.
221916—[address hidden]
23(Oliver Ditson Company)
25A (LFRED) R. HASKELL 10
26Was born in Mass. in 1875 and learned the trade with O. H. Bryant, beginning as repairer. He started making violins about 1906. He worked somewhat for himself, but was with Oliver Ditson Company in 1916 as expert maker and repairer, and has since died.
281860—[address hidden]
291870—[address hidden]
301880—[address hidden]
311916—[address hidden]
321924-31—[address hidden]
34ELIAS HOWE CO.
35Elias Howe 11 1860-1931.
36This firm was one of the largest houses in the country dealing in fine new and old stringed instruments, bows, strings and all accessories. Ernest A. Anderberg, O. H. Bryant, Peter Cyr, J. H. Edler, Elijah Emerson, 'Trefflé Gervais, Walter S. Goss, Henry Schultz, Richard Turner, and Joseph A. Young have worked for this firm as repairers and makers to fill orders, some of the above having had charge of the company's department dealing in old instruments and repairing.
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