Books › Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883 › scan 320
Scan 320
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
6 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 306. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER X.
3VIOLIN COLLECTING.
5The shameless traffic in names has often had a well-merited rebuke, but it is extremely doubtful if a system so tenacious of life will ever die out so long as the unwise custom of "collecting" violins continues in vogue. Compared with any other in Europe, this country is rich—very rich—in high class violins—perhaps I should say in violins of the highest class. A few years ago it was reckoned to be ahead even of France, but the general reader may not be aware of the fact that these fine instruments are, it may almost be said, chiefly in the hands of amateurs, who have been termed "collectors," and in some cases the collections may be said to comprise more than a dozen instruments of the best makers. These collectors are wealthy, have this fancy, and they gratify it, sparing no expense in order to secure the finest Strads, the finest Josephs, the finest Amatis, Bergonzis, Magginis, &c., that can be had. I do not now allude to those sham amateurs and collectors who "dabble" in fiddles and who are continually
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