Scan 61
Cremona: an account of the Italian violin-makers and their instruments, 1894
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 39. See the scan on archive.org.
1the archings rather higher, the F holes exactly like those of Stradivarius. Good instruments. (y)
3103. GUARNERIUS, Andreas. Cremona, 1650-1695. (z) The founder of his family, like Andreas Amati. Without his influence we should not have had the masterpieces of his nephew, Joseph del Gesù. It is the fact that in his earlier years he stood side by side with Stradivarius at the work-table of Nicolas Amati.
5He worked first on the model of his master, and then changed the shape of his F holes and of the scroll; at the same time he began to use flatter archings. The varnish is not always the same, but is generally a clear orange, put on rather thickly, but wanting in transparency. The violoncellos are of two sizes, and the violins the same. The workmanship is strong, but does not display the fine execution of his master, and he used many bad pieces of wood. (a)
7(y) This maker is said by high authorities to have been the second son of J. B. Guadagnini, of Parma and Turin. He worked at Turin, and alternately at Pavia. He had a brother, Gaetano, who worked at Turin as a repairer, and left a son, Carlo, principally known as a maker of guitars. Carlo Guadagnini had three sons, Gaetano, Giuseppe, and Felice, who were all engaged in the violin making and repairing industry: the best of them was Felice, who was working at Turin in 1835. The last, Gaetano, had a son, Antonio, born 1831, who died in 1881. He was a maker of violins, and left two sons, Francesco and Giuseppe, who are also engaged in the business with which the family has been so long associated. (See George Hart, "The Violin.")
9(z) In the archives of Cremona, thena me is Guarnieri. The Beethoven violoncello is by this maker, of 1675.
11(a) Andreas Guarnieri was born about 1625; he was the son of one Bartolommeo Guarnieri. He married Anna Maria Orcelli, and by her had seven children, three sons and four daughters. He died on the 7th December, 1698, and was buried in the Church of San Domenico.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.