P RE FAC E RM N ! Co . HE A , CLA have had so many calls from their customers for really authentic old instruments that the necessity arose of adding to their large stock of violins a fine collection of old instruments . These were picked up in the various violin centers of f Europe by their own buyers , were care ully selected , and ! are of undoubted age and merit . Co as Sherman , Clay . , have endeavored as near possible , to have a collection that would be representative of — : the various schools as known to day , viz Brescian , N Cremonese , eapolitan , Venetian , French , German , etc — English , the instruments making up the collection f varying in price rom upwards . Clemo n Antonius Stradinarius nefi s Facieb at Anno 1 ] Origin o f the V i o lin A Sh o rt H is t o ric a l Sk etc h o f th e V ario u s Vio lin Sc h o o ls , W ith a Lis t o f th e Princ ipal M a k ers . The double bass was the first of the violin family as f now known , ollowed by the Violoncello , the viola and t 1 0 lastly the violin abou 5 4 , and so great was the genius of these early makers , that the violin , as originated by them , has not to the present day been improved upon , in ! fact the work of Stradivarius and others has never been for equaled by modern makers their high finish , beauty f of o varnish and purity tone . 8 i I umné OF T H EVIOLIN 1 2 - 1 6 2 0 Gasparo da Salo , Brescia , 54 , is the first known of maker violins , though this distinction is claimed by German writers for a Germ an at an earlier period and for also by French writers a Frenchman , yet at the present da date , no violins earlier than those made by Gasparo Salo fewof . are known to exist , and very his of Taking then Gasparo da Salo as the first maker violins , P a we have in succeeding years Giovanni aolo M ggini , ’ 0- 1 6 0 f 1 o . Brescia , 5 9 4 , a pupil da Salo s Contemporaneous with the Brescian makers were those of Cremona , where the violin industry reached such a of f of degree per ection , that it has excited the wonder the civilized world to the present day . 1 0- 1 8 0 , C , f Andreas Amati remona 5 3 5 , was the ounder of C of V ; the remonese School iolin Makers his sons , 1 0- 1 6 Antonius and Hieronymus , 5 7 35 , succeeded their f N ather in business , it then descending to ikolaus Amati , 6 - 1 6 8 of N 1 . 5 9 4 , the son Hieronymus ikolaus Amati was of f the greatest maker this amily , his work being hardly of second to that genius them all , Antonius Stradivarius , 1 6 - 1 44 7 37 , who was his pupil and worked with him ORIGI N or T H E VIOLI N 9 1 6 0- 1 0 several years , as did also Henry Jacobs , 9 7 4 . ‘ 1 6 2 2 - 1 6 8 0 P Giovanni Baptista Ruggeri Jacob Stainer , ; aolo 1 6 0- 1 6 0 1 6 0- 1 2 0 s Albani , 3 5 ; Francesco Ruggeri , 7 7 ; Andrea 1 6 2 - 1 6 1 6 0-1 20 Guarnerius , 5 93; C . Testore , 9 7 and others . The really great makers of the Cremonese School 1 6 2 - 1 6 following Amati , were Andreas Guarnerius , 5 93; 1 6 0- 1 2 0 1 6 0 Francesco Ruggeri , 7 7 ; Guiseppe Guarnerius , 7 1 7 30; Joseph Antonio Guarnerius ; 1 6 8 3 Francesco 1 6 1 - 1 Omob onu u 1 6 Stradivarius , 7 743; Stradivari s , 7 9 1 2 1 6 0— 1 2 P 7 4 ; Lorenzo Guadagnini , 9 7 4 ; ietro Guarnerius , 1 6 0- 1 2 1 9 7 5 ; Giovanni Baptista Ruggeri , 7 Giovanni 1 1 1 - 1 8 6 1 1 6 Baptista Guadagnini , 7 7 ; Carlo Bergonzi , 7 1 1 0- 1 60 7 47 ; Michael Angelo Bergonzi , 7 3 7 ; Lorenzo — n 1 6 1 . Storio i , 7 9 799 While the violin industry reached its greatest perfec of tion in the small Italian city Cremona , there are quite a number of other cities that can justly claim having had makers whose work , in many respects , can be classed as being of the same standard as the best ofthe Cremonese makes ; this is also true to a certain e! tent of France r and Germany . Taking then , the Italian cities fi st , we f N — 1 6 0- 1 2 : have rom aples Alessandro Gagliano , 5 7 5 N 1 6 - 1 0 1 00 icolaus Gagliano , 95 74 ; Gennaro Gagliano , 7 1 0 1 0- 1 8 0 i 7 5 ; Ferdinando Gagliano , 7 4 7 ; Gu seppe Gag 1 — 1 00 liano , 7 From Venice Domenico Montagnana , 7 1 0 u 1 1 0- 1 8 G obetti 7 4 ; Sanct s Seraphin , 7 7 4 ; Francesco , 6 0- 2 0 1 68 0- 2 0 B ellosio 1 2 0 1 8 1 . 1 7 ; V Castro , 7 ; Anselmo , 7 ' io ORIGIN OF T rIE VIOLIN 1 8 0: — m m 7 From Bologna Carlo Tono i , Giovanni To oni , 1 T ononi 1 1 6 -1 0: 7 Carlo Antonio , 7 74 From Milan P G rancino 1 66 - 1 6 0 n P G rancino aola , 5 9 ; Giovan i aola , 6 6 - 1 1 6 0- 1 2 0 1 9 7 35 ; Carlo Guiseppe Testore , 9 7 ; Carlo 1 00- 1 0 P Antonio Testore , 7 7 3 ; aola Antonia Testore , 1 1 0- 1 Ferdinandus andolfi 1 0- 1 60 7 7 45 ; Carlo L , 7 3 7 ; David T echler 1 68 0- 1 0 Dulfenn , Rome , 7 3 ; Alexander , Livorno , 1 00 1 00- 1 0 7 ; Camillus Camilli , Mantua , 7 74 ; Vincenzo Panormo P 1 0- 1 8 1 , alermo , 7 4 3; Tomasso Carcassi , Florence , 1 0- 1 2 0 Pressenda 1 74 7 ; Giovanni Francesco , Turin , 7 7 7 1 8 54 . The French school of violin makers had quite an in fluence upon the violin industry , as their natural artistic taste led them quite early to perceive the superiority of of the instruments the early Italian makers , and so success ful were they in following the models as laid down by of in the best the Cremona and other schools , that the struments as turned out by them , rank with the very of e Of finest in selection wood , and b auty outline . ' 0R1 G IN OF T H E VI OLIN 1 1 : B o ua The leading French makers were Jacques q y , P 1 00- 1 0 Pierra P 1 00-1 2 aris , 7 7 3 ; Claude y , aris , 7 7 5 ; Jean V uillaume 1 00- 1 0 e , Mirecourt , 7 7 4 ; Francois M dard , P 1 00 F G avinies P 1 0 F aris , 7 ; rancois , aris , 7 3 , rancois u ot P e 1 6 - 1 8 0 P L p , lombi res , 7 3 4 ; Francois Vaillant , aris , 1 8 1 0 N Lu ot 7 5 ; Ambroise de Comble , Tournay , 7 5 ; icolas p , P 1 8 - 1 8 2 P P 1 8 8 - 1 8 2 2 aris , 7 5 4 ; F . L . ique , aris , 7 ; Jean V uillaume P 1 8 - 1 8 , ; C , Baptiste aris , 7 9 7 5 Francois hanot r 1 8 00 P 1 8 01 - 1 8 Mirecou t , ; ierre Silvestre , Lyons , 5 9; P Pacherele 1 8 0 - 1 8 1 ; C , ierre , Mirecourt , 3 7 George hanot P 1 8 01 - 1 8 8 V uillaume P 1 8 0 aris , 3; Claude Francois , aris , 7 ; P 1 8 1 0- 1 8 l Francois Gand , aris , 45 ; Charles Ado phe Maucotel P 1 8 2 0- 1 8 8 , aris , 5 Claude Augustin Miremont , 1 8 2 1 8 0 Mirecourt , 7 ; Hippolyte Silvestre , Lyons , 3 ; P 1 8 P 1 8 0 Adolphe Gand , aris , 4 5 ; Eugene Gand , aris , 5 1 8 95 . We now come to the German Makers , whose names are legion , but who did not in the large majority approach Of the work the Italian or French makers , yet there are a fewwho did turn out instruments Of real merit such as 1 2 ORI G I N OF T H E VIOLIN the K lOz family and especially Jacob Stainer , who is con f Of f sidered the oremost maker them all , in act several Of English writers an early period , placed him above the - best Italian school , though to day the Italian instruments - stand pre eminent . f Of We give the ollowing list the German makers . whose work was without doubt Of a high order : 1 6 2 1 - 1 68 Jacob Stainer , Absam , 3; Mathias Albani , 1 6 2 1 - 1 6 1 6 0- 1 0 Botzen , 7 3; Mathias Albani , Botzen , 5 7 9; K loz 1 6 0 Mathias , Mittenwald , 4 ; Markus Stainer , K f 1 6 K loz 1 6 0- 1 0 u stein , 59; Egidius , Mittenwald , 7 7 9; K loz 1 6 T ielke Sebastian , Mittenwald , 7 5 ; Joachim , 1 660- 1 6 0 1 6 8 0 , 9 ; , I Hamburg Johann Schorn nnsbruck , ; K lOz 1 i Georg , Mittenwald , 7 M chael Albani , Botzen , 8 1 .