Marc Laberte (1880–1963) was trained as a violin maker and joined the family company in 1911. By 1919, the Laberte firm had around 400 craftsmen and was successful. However, the war in 1942 devastated the business, leading to its closure. Despite this, Laberte was known for his exceptional instruments and bows, earning several honours and medals.
This violin has the original Marc Laberte label and bears the number #3010. A second label states Grand Prix Paris 1931, Exposition Internationale Bruxelles 1935 Membre Du Jury, and Exposition Internationale New York 1939. The prices they won before and during the start of the world war 2.
Marc André Joseph Laberte (29 May 1880 – 29 March 1963) was born into a family of violin makers. His great-grandfather started a workshop in Mirecourt around 1780. He married Marie Adeline Josephine Thérèse Drouin on 21 May 1904. After she passed away, he married Geneviève Josephine Paule Francine Thouvenin on 15 April 1912 in Besançon. They had a daughter named Claude on 6 June 1916.
Marc Laberte was a skilled luthier and bow maker who played an active role in the Laberte-Humbert Frères company starting in 1911. The workshop, which employed over 300 people by 1920, produced a wide range of high-quality instruments and bows. The workshop also owned a fine collection of instruments from famous makers, which were used as models for their own instruments. After being disrupted by the war, production resumed until the workshop eventually closed down.
Humbert Frères developed high-quality instruments alongside its “workshop-like” production. Instruments bearing the Laberte Humbert or Marc Laberte label are always of the highest standard. These best instruments were produced by a small team of skilled craftsmen known as “l’Atelier des Artistes”. Georges Apparut was in charge of this “artistic” production.
This violin has the original Marc Laberte label and bears the number #3010. A second label states Grand Prix Paris 1931, Exposition Internationale Bruxelles 1935 Membre Du Jury, and Exposition Internationale New York 1939. The prices they won before and during the start of the world war 2.
We have here a Labelled Amedee Dieudonne violin made around 1946 in Mirecourt, France. Amedee Dieudonne is a French luthier who specialized in copying Cremona Masters and was able to achieve a superior varnishing technique.
This Ryszard Osowski Gold model violin was built in the finest craftsmanship by Ryzard Osowski in Forchheim, Germany, dated 2024.
Ryszard Osowski, born in 1966, is a Polish luthier who moved to Muggendorf, Germany in 1993. Living with his uncle, he learned the local tradition of building stringed instruments and eventually perfected the sound and quality of his instruments after 25 years of experimentation. He now focuses on crafting advanced violins while occasionally creating cellos and violas.
Manighetti Violin made in 1938 in Turin, Italy
This is an Old German Violin made probably in Germany in the mid 19th century. Repaired professionally by Animato Strings and is now in very good playing condition.
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.
Check out this Mast Fils Violin Dated 1827. Joseph Laurent Mast a French violin maker who branded his violins with the inscription inside that says “Mast Fils Toulouse."
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.
We have here the Orfeo Carletti Violin made in 1932. Orfeo Carletti is an Italian violin maker who opened a workshop together with his father and brother in Bologna.
