Open this Saturday 9-4, Easter Sun and Mon closed. FREE SHIPPING within Australia for orders over $89
William Henry Dow 1897 Violin, Melbourne

William Henry Dow 1897 Violin, Melbourne

$33,000.00

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.

Quantity :

 Customer ratings and reviews
Nobody has posted a review yet
in this language
Close

William Henry Dow 1897 Violin, Melbourne 

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.

8 other products in the same category:

Maurice Bourguignon Violin 1927 Brussels

Introducing the Maurice Bourguignon Violin made in 1927 in Brussels. Maurice Bourguignon is a French luthier who received several awards, medals, and diplomas for his work in various exhibitions. He was known for his very refined work in classical models characterized by a good red varnish.

$9,750.00 Price

Mast Fils Violin 1827

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." 

$15,000.00 Price

Italian Copy of Geovanni Schwarz Violin c 1920

Check out the Italian Copy of Geovanni Schwarz violin made about 1920. Geovanni Schwarz was born in 1865 in Padua, Italy who by the influence and tutelage of his uncle Eugenio Degani honed his skills, established his own workshop, and won a gold medal in 1916 in Rome Italy.

$15,000.00 Price

Collin - Mezin Violin 1887 (F013)

Collin-Mezin Violin dated 1887. This as an unusual model for a Collin-Mezin violin, but the workmanship, the original label, and Collin-Mezin's authentic signature verify the maker.

$27,500.00 Price
 Reviews

Be the first to write your review !

Boxed:

Sticky Add To Cart

Font: