We have here a Collin - Mezin Violin made in Paris in 1911. Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin is a French violin maker who started at a young age under the tutelage of his father, Claud-Nicolas Collin. His own workshop started in 1867 at the 14 and 18 rue du Faubourg Poissonnièr in France.
Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin was born in Mirecourt, France in 1841. He came from a line of luthiers where his father became his first apprenticeship. According to some sources, he worked in the workshop of Nicolas-François Vuillaume in Brussels for a certain period. He moved to Paris and started his own shop in 1868 in which he was established as one of the premier French luthiers in his time. That is because many considered his instruments superior to other new instruments. He created various instruments such as violins, violas, cellos, and basses. He is also a good bow maker. Collin – Mezin died in Paris in 1923.
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 violin (copy) bears the label 'Andrea Postacchini,' a skilled Italian luthier renowned for crafting high-quality instruments with exceptional tonal quality.
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.
Collin-Mezin Violin dated 1887. This as an unusual model for a Collin-Mezin violin, but the workmanship, the original label, and Collin-Mezin's authentic signature verify the maker.
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.
Lambert-Humbert Frères firm (fl. 1876 – 1969) was a major violin manufacturer in Mirecourt, offering a wide range of models and quality levels, established in 1876 by violin-making brothers Maurice-Emile and Pierre Alexis Auguste Laberte.
Check out this Ryszard Osowski Violin Bronze Plus. Ryszard Osowski is a Polish luthier who gradually perfected the sound and quality of his instruments. As a result, he concentrated more on building his own stringed instrument, passionately pursuing crafting highly advanced violins.