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.
William Henry Dow was one of Australia’s greatest violin makers. He lived from 1834 to 1928. One of his violins is displayed in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
William Henry Dow was born in Scotland in 1836 and immigrated to Australia 19 years later. He worked with wood throughout his life, first as a joiner in Scotland. When he arrived in Melbourne in 1855, he was reunited with other members of his family who had made the journey from Scotland to Australia a few years earlier. By the time of William’s arrival, his uncle James was the manager of Langlands Port Phillip Foundry, and there William had a job waiting for him as a pattern maker – someone who made wooden patterns for sand casting iron and other metals.
The story goes that William created his first violin at the age of 15. He continued making violins as a hobby from his workshop in South Melbourne, still standing today. William entered his instruments in national exhibitions, starting with the 1875 Intercolonial Exhibition, and received medals for his work, which judges described as “exceedingly creditable.” Despite being entirely self-taught, he was successful. William once said, “I never could get the instruction I wanted from books, and I had to work at night, as I was employed all day at my engineering work.” Eventually, he retired from patternmaking to focus solely on making instruments. By his death in 1928, he had created more than 200 instruments. The exact number of Dow instruments is still being determined, as he began numbering them when he was satisfied that they met his high standards.
Please get in touch with Animato Strings on 07 3876 3877 if you want this violin.
This is the Gliga Vasile with Lion Head Scroll 4/4 Violin (Instrument Only) Supplied with certificate of authenticity, including photographs, date, measurements, materials with the stamp and signature of the maker, Vasile Gliga.
This German-Made Helmut Illner A-Level Violin Carved and varnished in Germany according to the specifications of German luthier Helmut Illner.
This is the Konrad Kohlert Violin. Konrad Kohlert's violins, violas and cellos have been produced in his workshop since 1987, and are valued worldwide for their sound and craftsmanship.
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.
This is the Stainer 4/4 Violin Made in Germany. Jacob Stainer was an Austrian luthier whose violins are being sought after by famous composers and musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Somon-Lohein. He was the only non-Italian violin maker to rank as the top luthier in his time before Stradivari.
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.
This French violin (copy) has a powerful sound and was made after Roger & Max Millant in Paris. It has a subtle and radiant voice. This violin is in excellent condition, making it suitable for professional musicians.
Handcrafted in Romanian workshops featuring highly flamed maple back, sides and neck and close-grained Carpathian resonance spruce top.
