Scan 393
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1884
2 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 305. See the scan on archive.org.
1HART, John Thomas, born December 17th, 1805, died January 1st, 1874. He was articled to Samuel Gilkes in May, 1820, of whom he learned the mechanical branch of his profession. He afterwards centred his attention upon the peculiar characteristics of the Cremonese and Italian Violin-makers generally, and in a comparatively brief space of time obtained an extensive acquaintance in that direction. His unerring eye and powerful memory of instruments once brought under his notice secured for him the highest position among the connoisseurs of his time. Commencing business at a period when the desire to possess instruments by the famous Italian makers was becoming general among amateurs, and being peculiarly fortunate in securing an early reputation as a judge of them, he became the channel through which the greater part of the rare Italian works passed into England, and it has frequently been said that there are very few distinguished instruments in Europe with which he was unacquainted. Among the remarkable collections that he brought together may be mentioned that of the late Mr. James Goding, the remnant of which was dispersed by Messrs. Christie and Manson in 1857; the small but exquisite collection of Mr. Charles Plowden, consisting of four Violins of Stradivari and four of Guarneri, with other instruments of less merit, the whole of which
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