Books › British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904 › scan 152
Scan 152
British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904
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1and lengthening the body. The tone of the violoncellos is excellent, and was greatly appreciated in England previous to the advent of Italian instruments. It will be appreciated still more when we think it worth our while to coax the old veterans out of the sullen silence into which they have been obliged to retire. The world is tolerably free of fraudulent Forster 'cellos. I have not seen any, but have heard of one or two. No doubt there are many genuine "Forsters" still in existence, but quite a host of them disappeared during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The average catalogue price for the violoncellos from 1890 to 1900 is £23. They will command a higher figure in the near future. Those varnished dark amber were preferred in the eighteenth century, 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. I do not know that it was a rule with Forster to make uniformly in this manner, and to indicate the difference in thickness by a difference in the colour of the varnish. I only point out that so far as my observation goes it was his invariable practice. He is said to have used fossil amber for the basis of his varnish towards the end of his life, in the solution of which he was assisted by Delaporte, a chemist. There is a close resemblance between the said varnish and that manufactured until recently by the Messrs. Caffyn of London. Forster made only four double-basses, three of which were for the private band of George III. Labels :—
3(1) WILLIAM FORSTER,
4VIOLIN MAKER,
5IN ST MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, 17—
7(2) WILLIAM FORSTER,
8VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO, TENOR, AND BOW MAKER
9N.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.
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