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.
Check out this Copy of Giuseppe Fiorini violin 1926. Giuseppe Fiorini an Italian luthier, the son and student of Raffaele Fiorini who established the "Rieger and Fiorini" violin-making firm in Munich. A passionate teacher, donating materials and relics to the Municipality of Cremona in order to establish a violin-making school there.
This violin is labelled "Antonius Vinaccia, Napoli in Via Constantinii, a. 1792" and shows evidence of being repaired in 1902. Antonio Vinaccia was a renowned instrument maker in Naples during the mid-18th to late 19th centuries. He was known for making violins in the style of Gagliano and exceptional mandolins. His craftsmanship is preserved in Naples's Museo Spagnuolo (Palazzo degli Studi). Antonio's sons, Gennaro and Gaetano, also became instrument makers.
This is the Barbet & Granier dated 1879 Violin from Marseille France. Charles Barbet and Edmund Granier of Marseille were at the forefront of outstanding makers at the turn of the 19th century.
The Rainer W. Leonhardt 2025 "November Bird" Violin is a handcrafted master violin made in Mittenwald, Germany, featuring a stunning one-piece bird's-eye maple back, a two-piece European spruce top, and a beautifully antiqued dark brown spirit varnish. Built from carefully selected tonewoods and crafted with traditional German craftsmanship, it delivers a warm, responsive tone with excellent projection.
Rainer W. Leonhardt is a fourth-generation master violin maker whose family workshop has been producing fine string instruments since 1926. Based in the historic violin-making town of Mittenwald, Germany, Leonhardt is renowned for combining traditional craftsmanship with exceptional tonal quality, creating instruments that are appreciated by musicians around the world.
This 7/8 size violin is labelled Thomas Challoner who worked in Chester, England around 1790. Thomas Challoner was one of the known violin makers in the 18th century.
This is a Paul Jean- Baptiste Chipot Violin made in Paris in about 1942. Paul Jean Baptiste Chipot is a French luthier the son of Chipot-Vuillaume. He worked in many workshops in Mirecourt then moved to Vendome to start his own workshop.
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.
