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Scan 164
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
18 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 90. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1THE HAWLEY COLLECTION OF VIOLINS
3kirchen is to Germany and Mericourt to France. Thousands of violins were made by little known makers, some of which have become, with proper adjustment, fine toned instruments, and many bear labels of makers better known and more celebrated. So recently as twenty-five years ago violins of this grade were not considered worth the handling. To-day, owing to the demand for Italian violins and increased price of the better instruments, and owing to their tonal value, they are being brought into use, but need, of course, very skillful adjustment to render them fit for use.
5Milan
7Milan was the center of a very important school of violin-making. The shops of numerous artisans, celebrated in their day, were located in the proximity of the beautiful Piazza Duoma. And to-day the Piazza is pointed out as the birthplace of many a famous instrument.
9The Milanese violins rank next to those of Venice in point of artistic merit and finish. The Milanese makers as a rule used maple of rather tougher nature, and not so handsome as that employed in Cremona and Venice, but acoustically leaving nothing to be desired. They were also faithful to the best violin-making traditions of Italy, and did not take up with the German model, as did so many of the Venetian makers. In Milan, as in other chief Italian cities, music was fostered by the church. Milan has always been a city of wide culture, and of great liberality in promoting the arts. The art of violin-building flourished in such an appreciative community, and reached considerable importance, though it was tempered by commercialism which prevented its reaching to the highest artistic plane. It is noteworthy that to-day violin-making flourishes in Milan better than in any other Italian city.
11Paolo Grancino
13This great maker worked from about 1660 to the end of the century. He was a pupil of the most celebrated master of his day, Nicola Amati, and established himself at an early age. In a short period of time he built up a considerable patronage and founded a family of importance as makers. He followed in the lines of Amati. His finest efforts are splendid examples of the liutaro's art. Grancino used plain but good maple for his backs and sides, a custom which became firmly established among the Milanese. For his tops he selected spruce of the choicest description. His varnish is of a yellowish color, and in this respect he was followed by other makers, so that this peculiar yellow varnish has become as firmly associated with Milanese work as the rich red is with Venice, though there are notable exceptions in each case. His outline is between the large and small of Nicola Amati. The modeling descends from the purfling a little, and then in a graceful manner sweeps upward toward the center. Violoncellos by Grancino are particularly fine. They are as beautiful in tone as those by his master, Amati. His violas also are worthy of the highest consideration.
15Giovanni Grancino, 1692-1720
17This maker was a son of Paolo. His style is different and is not so closely wedded to the lines of Amati as was that of Paolo, and is bolder and more rugged. He adopted an outline which shows marked influence of Maggini. And here it would
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