This violin was made by Jehanne H. Blaise in Mirecourt a violin-making town in France. Blaise's good choice of tonewoods can be seen beautifully under the intensively orange-red colored varnish. Blaise mostly uses regularly grained spruce on top and flamed maple from Vosges mountains on its two-piece back. As a result, his violins express a warm and dark voice, with clarity, maturity, and good resonance.
French 3/4. Beautiful sound. There is an old, repaired hairline soundpost crack at the top.
Paul Beuscher began as a luthier who opened the Paul Beuscher Music Shop in 1850 in Paris at 27-29 Boulevard Beaumarchais. The string instruments bearing the label Paul Beuscher came most likely from Mirecourt, the centre of French violin making. They were bought there and sold in Paul Beuscher Music Shop in Paris bearing Paul Beuscher’s name.
This violin was made by Emile L'Humbert in Paris in 1926. Emile L'Humbert is a French luthier (1872-1933) who became a pupil of Derazey and Mougenot and was a worker of Blanchard in Lyon.
Victor Audinot (1870-1943), also known as Audinot-Mourot, came from a family of luthiers in Mirecourt. Mentored by Francois Chardin and Telesphore Barbé, Audinot was mainly influenced by Barbé, who had honed his skills working for Jean Baptiste Vuillaume in Paris. This experience helped shape Audinot’s successful career in instrument making.
Victor worked in Mirecourt, known for luthier tradition, before moving to Paris to set up his workshop on Rue Truffaut in 1913. He dedicated himself to his craft until retiring in 1936. He passed his expertise to five of his six sons and aspiring luthiers. Renowned for creating exact replicas of classical instruments, he crafted an exceptional copy of the ornately decorated Stradivari violin known as the ‘Sunrise’, showcasing his artistry.
Lambert-Humbert Frères was a well-known violin manufacturer in Mirecourt from 1876 to 1969. They produced various instruments from reputable makers like Joseph Aubry and Georges Apparut. The company changed to L.F.M. in 1919 and obtained the prestigious brand “A La Ville de Cremone” in 1927. Unfortunately, the industry declined in the mid-20th century, leading to the closure of all major firms by the 1960s, including Laberte.
This French Made Violin for Barnes and Mullins was created in London in about 1900. Barnes and Mullins are representing several musical instruments bearing the largest names in the industry.