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.
Paul Kaul (1875 – 1951) is a French violin maker born in Mirecourt (Vosges) in 1875. His father was employed in Jerome Thibouville Lamy’s workshop to varnish instruments. At the age of thirteen, he began as an apprentice in the same workshop his father was working.
After serving the French army, he joined Thibouville Lamy’s workshop at the age of twenty-four in 1899 in Paris. Kaul left Thibouville in 1900 to join Silvestre and Maucotel in Paris. He worked there for five years (1900-1905) and then he went to Nantes to join Vuillemin-Didion’s workshop. After 2 years Kaul established his own workshop in 1907 on rue Racine, Nantes. You can find violins bearing his name on that particular year. Then he moved to rue du Pont Communeau in 1908.
He met Luien Capet in 1917, a violinist who had a hugely important influence on the professional life of Kaul. Kaul then moved to Paris in 1926, where he placed his workshop at 130 Boulevard Brune. His final relocation is at Rue de Rome before he died in 1951 in Vesinet-le-Pec (Seine et Oise).
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.
This is a French violin by Paul J. B. Chipot, made in 1926. Paul John Baptiste Chipot, the son of Chipot-Vuillaume, was a French luthier who established his own workshop in Vendome in 1923.
This German-Made Helmut Illner A-Level Violin Carved and varnished in Germany according to the specifications of German luthier Helmut Illner.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
