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Scan 186
British Violin Makers, 1920
15 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 148. See the scan on archive.org.
1Sandys and Forster in their History of the Violin give a somewhat lengthy account of various Forsters, Foresters, or Fosters who were anciently connected with the northern counties, but whether these were ancestors of John Forster they are not prepared to say. It is not very material whether they were or not. This first Forster to come across the path of the violin historian made only an occasional instrument, on the Stainer model, of rather rough and unfinished workmanship.
3FORSTER, SIMON ANDREW, London: 1801-70.
4He was a son of William Forster (1764-1824), born May 13, 1801, and died February 2, 1870. He worked at Frith Street, and also at Macclesfield Street, Soho. He is more famous as the collaborator with William Sandys of the work referred to above than as a violin maker. All his work that I have seen reflects little or no credit upon the great name of Forster. He was a pupil of his father, of his brother, and of Samuel Gilkes. He worked sometimes on the Stradivari and sometimes on the Stainer model, but always arched his instruments in a grotesque manner. I am not sure that he did not sometimes bake his wood, as the tone is often of a wretched character.
6Label:—
8S. A. FORSTER,
9VIOLIN, TENOR, AND VIOLONCELLO MAKER,
10NO. — LONDON.
12FORSTER, WILLIAM, Brampton: 1714-1801. He was a son of John Forster, and, like his father, made and repaired an occasional fiddle. The workmanship is a little better than his father's, but the tone is about the same. His instruments are unpurfled, and spirit varnished.
14FORSTER, WILLIAM, Brampton and London: 1739-1808. He is known as "Old Forster," and is the greatest maker of the family, and one of the greatest of all the old British makers. Haweis says he was "the greatest maker
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