Labelled Carlo Steffani Violin Mantova, Italy 1711
This is a violin labelled Carlo Steffani. The timber for this violin was cut around 1800 in the Southern Alps.
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.
This is a violin labelled Carlo Steffani. The timber for this violin was cut around 1800 in the Southern Alps.
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.
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.
This is a Collin - Mezin violin made in Paris in 1902. Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin (1841–1923) was a Parisian luthier an Officier de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts and won gold and silver medals in 1878, 1889, and 1900 at the Paris Exhibitions.
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.
This is a Charles Gaillard 1867 Violin. Charles Gaillard was an apprentice of the prominent French violinmaker and restorer, Charles Adolphe Gand.
Ref. F007
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.
Check out this Didier Nicolas Violin made around 1780 in Mirecourt, France. Didier Nicolas is a French luthier who owns the workshop D. Nicolas Aine, one of the most successful violin companies in Mirecourt during the late 1700s and 1800s.