John Van Wirdum Violin, played by Martin Lass, Australia 1986

We have here a Lillo Salerno Italian violin made in 2019. Lillo Salerno is an Italian luthier born in Sicily, Italy. He went to Cremona Violin Making School then finished his studies in Mittenwald School of Violin Making in Germany in 2005.

• Instrument - Violin

• Model- Personalized Stradivari 

• Top - Italian spruce in two pieces

• Back - Balkan maple in two pieces

• Scroll - From the same wood as the back

• Varnish - Oil and amber with a yellow background, red-brown violin.

• Notes - The instrument was made with an antique and shows a black bevel on the scroll and points of the bouts.

William Henry Dow was born in Scotland in 1834 and moved to Australia in 1855 to work as a pattern maker at Langlands Port Phillip Foundry in Melbourne. Initially a hobby, he began making violins in his workshop in South Melbourne and received medals for his work at national exhibitions. After retiring from patternmaking, he devoted himself to creating instruments and made over 200 violins by his death in 1928. It is still being determined how many instruments Dow made, as he only started numbering them when he was satisfied with their quality. One of his violins is on display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

Please get in touch with Animato Strings on 07 3876 3877 if you want this violin.

This is a Josef Kreuzinger Violin Made in Germany around 1924. Josef Kreuzinger was a German luthier whose works were deemed as excellent and professional.

A violin made and labelled in 1917 by Leandro Bisiach (1864 – 1945) of Milan, an Italian violin maker born in Casale Monferratos, known as the father of violin makers in the Bisiach family.

The 1927 Collin-Mezin violin is a masterpiece crafted in the renowned Collin-Mezin Workshop, established in the 19th century by Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin in Paris. After passing in 1923, his son, Charles Collin-Mezin Jr., took over the workshop. In 1925, the workshop moved to Mirecourt, France. Known for producing vibrant instruments with outstanding sound flexibility, the workshop's tradition continues with the 1927 Collin-Mezin violin.

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.

POA This violin, attributed to Anselmo Bellosio (1743-1793) in Venice, was acquired by Animato Strings and features previous repairs, including a new bass bar installed by A. Eisenstein in New York, as noted in a 1944 magazine clip. After cleaning and minor seam repairs, it produces a rich, full sound and is available for sale. Born into a family of organ makers, Bellosio began crafting violins around 1770 and took over Giorgio Serafin’s workshop in 1777. This particular instrument, dated 1768, reflects his early craftsmanship and notable deep tone, marking him as a significant figure in the 18th-century Venetian violin-making tradition before his passing at 50.

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.