Books › British Violin Makers: A Biographical Dictionary of British Makers of Stringed Instruments and Bows and a Critical Description of Their Work, 1920 › scan 190
Scan 190
British Violin Makers: A Biographical Dictionary of British Makers of Stringed Instruments and Bows and a Critical Description of Their Work, 1920
19 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 152. See the scan on archive.org.
1Those varnished dark amber were preferred a hundred years ago, but the red ones are more in favour to-day. The amber ones which I have seen were not so well stocked with wood as the red ones. Probably the greater thickness of the latter placed them at a slight disadvantage when new, which is the very reason why they are the better sort to-day. He is said to have used fossil amber for the basis of his varnish on his later instruments, in the solution of which he was assisted by the chemist, Delaporte. There is a close resemblance between the said varnish and that made some time back by the Messrs. Caffyn, of London. Forster made only four double basses, three of which were for the private band of King George III. Labels:—
3(1).
5WILLIAM FORSTER,
6VIOLIN MAKER,
7IN ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, 17—.
9(2).
11WILLIAM FORSTER,
12VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO, TENOR, AND BOW MAKER.
14N.B. The above instruments are made in the best manner, and finished with the original varnish; and a copy of every capital instrument in England may be had.
16FORSTER, WILLIAM, London: 1764-1824. "Young Forster" was a son of the great Forster. He was born January 7, 1764, and died July 24, 1824. He maintained to some extent the traditions and reputation of his father, but failed, or did not try, to maintain the same standard of excellence throughout. His work varies more in quality than does that of any maker, past or present, that I am acquainted with: some of it is no better than factory work, and some is fully as good as the best of his father's.
18Haweis says there was an erratic vein in the Forster family, which in the great Forster took the shape of "amazing versatility," but in the younger members of the family
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