Charles Gaillard was an apprentice of the prominent French violinmaker and restorer, Charles Adolphe Gand. His tutelage allowed Gaillard to develop a keen eye for fine craftsmanship and indeed, his violins are often noted for their beautiful designs and superior finishes. He favored a natural approach to varnishing, his instruments typically free of shading and artificial ageing. This violin shows his characteristic orange-brown finish, with a reddish tinge here and there.
The violin dates from his residency at 20 rue Notre-Dame de Rouvrance in Paris, where he established independently.
In the 1910s, Arthur Edward Smith (1880-1978) established a store in Sydney upon his return to Australia. Smith's workshop on Hunter Street quickly gained a reputation for repairing and selling high-quality stringed instruments. This violin was sold (not made by) AE Smith, Australia's most famous violin maker.
This is a Charles Claudot Violin. The name Claudot was a popular clan of luthiers in France who have been making violins from the 16th up to the 20th century.
This exceptional French violin is a masterpiece crafted by the renowned luthier Jean Baptiste Colin in Mirecourt, Paris, back in 1901. The violin's exceptional characteristics contribute to the continued popularity of his violins in modern times.
This is the Paul Kaul violin made in France dated 1918. Paul Kaul is a French violin maker who joined several workshops such as Thibouville Lamy, Silvestre and Maucotel, Vuillemin-Didion. He started several workshops on rue Racine, Nantes in 1907, rue du Pont Communeau in 1908, and at 130 Boulevard Brune in 1926.
This is the Stainer 4/4 Violin Made in Germany. Jacob Stainer was an Austrian luthier whose violins are being sought after by famous composers and musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Somon-Lohein. He was the only non-Italian violin maker to rank as the top luthier in his time before Stradivari.
Amati Mangenot made this violin, but he "Italianised" his name and city, resulting in Mageno and Bordo.
Amati Mangenot (1901 – 1966), a French luthier, crafted this violin. He collaborated with the Laurent brothers and later took over Emile Laurent's workshop in Bordeaux.
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.