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Scan 21
The Violinist's Guide (1916), 1916
36 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE VIOLINIST'S GUIDE
3Double Bass Viol Made and Sold by
4A. B. Bates & Co.
5Fairfield, Jan. 6th, 1843. (Maine.)
7The top was of cedar and thicker than a Prescott top, lower corners rounded; and small double cut scroll. Full size corner blocks have two holes in each with thread for screw.
9Isaiah H. Arey, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, made fine violins. He received a diploma at the Massachusetts Mechanics Fair (Boston) in 1856.
11Harvey Ball, Nashua, New Hampshire. Born 1818. Made about seventy-five violins of fair workmanship.
13F. Robins, musical instrument maker, 1849. Good Amati model. Good work.
14Brooks, Ashburnham, Mass.
15Among the New England makers of violins the name of White occupies a foremost place.
17John White was born at Abington, Mass., 1785, but removed to Barre, 1806. He was the oldest of 13 children. He made his first violin in 1802 and another in 1806. The color of the oldest was very dark, and the wood in the back resembled tortoise shell, both in figure and color. The workmanship was fine and the tone was good. From about 1858 to 1860 he made eight or ten instruments. He died 1865.
19Ira J. White was born in Barre, Mass., July 9, 1813. In the early part of his career, he used his own model, but in 1851 he bought a Stradivarius for $1,000, which he copied. In 1864 he again made a change of model, this time from the Stradivarius to the Nicholas Amati form; these two models he used the rest of his life. His long study and fine work placed him at the head of the early American violin makers. Ira J. White received three medals from the Massachusetts Mechanics' Fair. He died in December, 1895.
21Asa Warren White was born in Barre, Mass., in 1826. He worked in his young days for Henry Prentiss with a violin maker named Giradot, a quick workman, who worked on all forms of stringed instruments. In 1849 Ira J. and A. W. White formed a partnership and worked together repairing and making different instruments. A. W. White made his instruments after the Stradivarius and Guarnerius models. Later Calvin Baker worked for A. W. White (Ira J. withdrawing from the firm), and made many good violins. After him, Orrin Weeman worked for A. W. White for about three years, and for a while also a man named Alden. He turned out numerous violins and about ten 'Cellos, several violas, three viol da gambas, and two viol d'Amors. A. W. White received a gold medal from the Massachusetts Mechanics' Fair. He died in 1893.
23Ira E. White, the oldest son of Ira J., continues the musical instrument work, in all its branches, making violins, basses, guitars and harps. He was born in Boston, April 20, 1830, and for the past fifty years has been working in Boston as a repairer and maker.
25J. Henry, son of James H. White, born in Boston, 1842, repairs musical instruments for which he has acquired a high reputation.
27The Whites were the first "family" of American violin makers.
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31THE present edition of The Violinist's Guide contains in concise form and convenient for reference the names of over 100 old makers and 450 American makers, repairers, dealers, inventors and manufacturers, and, in addition to the labels of some of the old makers, those of a few acknowledged American makers.
33Descriptions in the directory text have been necessarily restrained but the advertising pages have been open to all makers and dealers for the addition of such details and information as could not in fairness be excluded in the text.
35The co-operation of all readers and users of The Violinist's Guide is urgently requested in correcting for the next edition, any errors, omissions, etc., in the present volume. Any information vouchsafed will be gratefully acknowledged by the editor.
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