Instrument

Iconography Index

"Guided Tour through the Shrine to Music's Galleries", Charles Beare, VSA Proceedings, Vol. XII, No. 2, November 7-10, 1991, 1991: Black-and-white photo (front).

"Nicolo Amati's instruments in pictures", The Strad, December, 1996, 1996: Color photos (front & back).

"Preservation Order", Roger Hargrave, The Strad, June, 1985, 1985: Black-and-white photos (back & f-hole).

"The Transition of the Amati Workshop into the hands of Stradivari, 1660-1684", Daniel Draley, VSA Proceedings, Vol. IX, No. 3, 1988, 1988: Black-and-white photo (F-hole & C-bout).

"The Witten-Rawlins Collection and Other Early Italian Stringed Instruments at the Shrine to Music Museum", Margaret Downie Banks, VSA Proceedings, Vol. VIII, No. 3, November 9-15, 1986, 1986: Black-and-white photos (front, back & side).

http://www.theluthierslibrary.com/: Digital color photos (many detailed images).

A Genealogy of the Amati Family of Violin Makers: 1500-1740, Daniel Draley, The Maecenas Press, Iowa City, 1989: Color photos (back & corner).

the Amatis' DNA: A Dynasty of Stringed Instrument Makers in Cremona, edited by: Fausto Cacciatori, Bruce Carlson & Carlo Chiesa, Consorzio Liutai Antonio Stradivari Cremona, Cremona, 2006: Color photos (front, back, scroll, f-holes & C-bouts).

W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive: Black-and-white photos (D56 - front, back, scroll, f-hole & C-bout).

Notes

This instrument is of the "Grand Pattern" design, probably introduced by the youthful Nicolo in 1625. It was exhibited at the South Kensington exhibit in 1872 by Charles J. Read.

Collectors Choice: Musical Instruments of Five Centuries from American Private Collections, Jacques Francais, American Musical Instrument Society, New York, 1975.

Instrument #75 at the South Kensington Special Exhibition of 1872.

Catalogue of the Special Exhibition at South Kensington, England, Carl Engel, London, 1872.

Instrument #1074 at the Special Loan Exhibition at Fishmongers Hall, London in 1904.

Catalog for the Special Loan Exhibition of Musical Instruments, Manuscripts, Portraits and other Mementos, Fishmonger's Hall, London, June-July, 1904.

"Although one of the earliest of the Grand Pattern Amati violins, I think it is the most perfect one."

"Guided Tour through the Shrine to Music's Galleries", Charles Beare, VSA Proceedings, Vol. XII, No. 2, November 7-10, 1991, 1991.

"There are two excellent violins of this make in the collection Mrs. Jay's, and the violin of Mr. C. J. Read, No. 75. This latter is the large pattern of those makers, and is more elegant than what is technically called the grand Amati, but not so striking. To appreciate the merit and the defect of this instrument, compare it candidly with the noble Stradiuarius Amatise that hangs by its side, numbered 82. Take a back view first. In outline they are much alike. In the details of work the Amati is rather superior; the border of the Stradiuarius is more exquisite ; but the Amati scroll is better pointed and gauged more cleanly, the purfling better composed for effect, and the way that purfling is let in, especially at the corners, is incomparable. On the front view you find the Amati violin is scooped out here and there, a defect the Stradiuarius has avoided. I prefer the Stradiuarius sound-hole per se; but, if you look at the curves of these two violins, you will observe that the Amati sound-holes are in strict harmony with the curves ; and the whole thing the product of one original mind that saw its way."

Biographical Notice of Nicolo Paganini, F. J. Fétis, Schott & Co., 1851.

Provenance

Owner	Owned From	Owned In	Owned Till	Price paid
National Music Museum (University of South Dakota)	1984
Laurence C. Witten	1968		1984
Jacques Francais			1968
...
William MacNeil Rodewald, Jr. (Paris)	1957			For members only
W.E. Hill & Sons			1957
...
George H. Kemp
W.E. Hill & Sons
Richard Bennett (Southport, Lancashire)
W.E. Hill & Sons
Miss E.A. Willmott		1904
W.E. Hill & Sons
Robert E. Brandt (Exeter)
W.E. Hill & Sons
W. H. Symes (Bognor, England)
W.E. Hill & Sons	1877
Rev. James Moore			1877
C. J. Read		1872
...

 Current owner
 Indicates that the owner is or was also a musician

Certificates

Certificate: Jacques Francais, New York, October 14, 1958

Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London, November 28, 1957

Certificate: Rembert Wurlitzer, Inc., New York, January 29, 1959

References

A Genealogy of the Amati Family of Violin Makers: 1500-1740, Daniel Draley, The Maecenas Press, Iowa City, 1989.

Biographical Notice of Nicolo Paganini, F. J. Fétis, Schott & Co., 1851.

Catalog for the Special Loan Exhibition of Musical Instruments, Manuscripts, Portraits and other Mementos, Fishmonger's Hall, London, June-July, 1904.

Catalogue of the Special Exhibition at South Kensington, England, Carl Engel, London, 1872.

Collectors Choice: Musical Instruments of Five Centuries from American Private Collections, Jacques Francais, American Musical Instrument Society, New York, 1975.

the Amatis' DNA: A Dynasty of Stringed Instrument Makers in Cremona, edited by: Fausto Cacciatori, Bruce Carlson & Carlo Chiesa, Consorzio Liutai Antonio Stradivari Cremona, Cremona, 2006.

W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive.

W. E. Hill Business Records (1850 - 1990).

"Guided Tour through the Shrine to Music's Galleries", Charles Beare, VSA Proceedings, Vol. XII, No. 2, November 7-10, 1991, 1991.

"Nicolo Amati's instruments in pictures", The Strad, December, 1996, 1996.

"Preservation Order", Roger Hargrave, The Strad, June, 1985, 1985.

"The Transition of the Amati Workshop into the hands of Stradivari, 1660-1684", Daniel Draley, VSA Proceedings, Vol. IX, No. 3, 1988, 1988.

"The Witten-Rawlins Collection and Other Early Italian Stringed Instruments at the Shrine to Music Museum", Margaret Downie Banks, VSA Proceedings, Vol. VIII, No. 3, November 9-15, 1986, 1986.

http://www.theluthierslibrary.com/

http://www.usd.edu/smm/bowstg.html

http://www.usd.edu/smm/Violins/AmatiNicolo/3356NAmatiViolin.html