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 French violin was made in 1922 by Amédée Dominique Dieudonné, who specialized in copying Cremona Masters and achieved a superior varnishing technique. He started his own workshop in Mirecourt after the First World War in the 1920s.
Check out this Leonidas Nadegini violin made about 1920. Jean-Baptiste Leonidas Nadegini was a Ukrainian luthier who was awarded as gold medalist for sonority in Saint Petersbourg competition in 1907.
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.
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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.
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.
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Handcrafted in Romanian workshops featuring highly flamed maple back, sides and neck and close-grained Carpathian resonance spruce top.
