Scan 275
The violin, its famous makers and their imitators, 1887
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1The semi-Italian character pervading the instruments made in England at this period seems to have culminated in the productions of Barak Norman, whose best works bear even a more marked Brescian character than those of Rayman. The model varies very much, sometimes being high, at other times very flat; in the latter case the results are instruments of the Maggini type. Barak Norman frequently double-purfled his instruments, and inserted a device in the purfling, evidently following Maggini in these particulars. With Barak Norman ends the list of English copyists of the Brescian makers.
3We now arrive at the copyists of Jacob Stainer and the Amatis, a class of makers who possessed great abilities, and knew how to use them. The first name to be mentioned is Benjamin Banks, of Salisbury, who may with propriety be termed the English Amati. He was the first English maker who recognized the superior form of Amati's model over that of Stainer, and devoted all his energies to a successful imitation. Too much praise could not be lavished on Banks for the example which he selected for himself and his fellow-makers.
5Next follow the names of Forster, Duke, Hill, Wamsley, Betts, Gilkes, Hart, and Kennedy, together with those of Panormo, Fendt, and Lott, who although not born in England, passed the greater part of their lives here, and therefore require to be classed with the English school. The mention of these makers will bring the reader to the present time.
7Upon scanning this goodly list there will be found ample evidence that we in England have had makers of sufficient merit to entitle us to rank as a distinct school—a school of no mean order. We may therefore assume that the Conti-
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