Below, Chris Germain (shown on the left) is the director of the workshop and has a violin shop in Philadelphia, PA.. John Montgomery takes care of the instruments in the Library of Congress, and has a violin shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. A deal was made and the instrument changed hands for the sum of only one guinea. My great-grandfather ordered a violoncello of Betts in the year 1780, to be made by Betts himself. Article. After the death of Betts' son, the violin was sold to WE Hill, and eventually to Whittall's, before ending up at the Library of Congress, where it is displayed in the performing arts reading room. Bridgewood & Neitzert l UK's Leading Violin Dealers, Restorers, & Makers John Betts, London, c.1785 - Reuning & Son Violins Fine Fretted String Instruments 2345 Winchester Blvd. . United Kingdom, Email: info.london@tarisio.com John Betts cello, London circa 1810 available at Johnson String Instrument, New England's largest and most complete violin shop. Web.. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200155591/. By William Meredith Morris. Composite, newer top (19th century) original back and sides. 43883.00. Article. Part of that status comes from the circumstances of its acquisition. 2 North Piazza, Londini," are also written across the back on the inside, near the top, and an inscription, which is not decipherable, is written across the belly near the left sound- hole. Gregg is holding the violin made by the class in 2010 and varnished in 2011. These cookies collect data to remember the choices users make on the website. Ward owned the violin for over 40 years; on his death it passed to the Hills. John Betts school / circle: fine antique English violin circa 1820. They serve to improve service and provide a more personalised experience. Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, "Betts". Using a carefully selected matching top, back, neck and scroll carved by Steve Rossow on his CNC machine directly from computer files generated from CT scans of "the Betts" violin, the Oberlin Betts copy was completed by the class as a group project to the point of being playable but without varnish. Robert Somers Brookings, an economist, founded in 1916 what became the Brookings Institution, a respected private nonprofit public policy organization. A POSSIBLY JOHN BETTS VIOLIN with an internal handwritten paper label 1871, Violin by Giuseppe Guarneri, Cremona, ca. Company number: 9889926. Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1704, "Betts" [Full strung instrument, front and back], Stringed Instruments at the Library of Congress, Musical Instruments at the Library of Congress, Comparison of performances on five violins, Twin Guarneri Violins Reunited at Library, Wilkins Early Stringed Instrument Collection, Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1699, "Castelbarco", Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1700, "Ward", Violin by Nicolo Amati, Cremona, 1654, "Brookings", Violin by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris, ca. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permission ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Violins and Violin Makers Biographical Dictionary of the Great Italian Artistes, their Followers and Imitators, to the present time. John Betts (1755-1823) was born in Lincolnshire. By the time this fine antique violin was crafted in approximately 1820, John Betts was already able to look back on an impressive oeuvre. The varnish is extremely well preserved and retains some of its original texture. We use this information to help choose the woods used and to guide us in the making of accurate copies. Please get in touch for more details about this beautiful English violin for sale by Arthur and John Betts. As on the "Tuscan-Medici" viola [see below], the top under the fingerboard is not varnished in an area extending down 5.5 cm from the neck foot. Violin maker. Violin - He was born in 1752 in Stamford and died in 1823 in London. All rights reserved. By 1781 he was working independently and hired his first apprentice around that time. In 1781 he was established independently in Holborn, moving to Royal Exchange in 1782. The Betts violin was the focus of the 2011 Oberlin Workshop, and John Waddle, Steve Sirr, and I were excited to have renowned makers such as Gregg Alf, Chris Germain, Bill Scott, Raymond Shryer, and Sam Zygmuntowicz join us in working on a group project creating a copy of the Betts, using a top, back, neck, and scroll that I had carved using CT . John Betts. This is a composite violin: the back, ribs and scroll were made by Andrea Guarneri in 1694 and the replacement front was made by John Betts in the 1790s. . John Betts violin label. Directions. Apprenticed to Richard Duke in 1765, subsequently buying the business from Dukes daughter Anne. It bears its original label. In June of 2011, Steve Rossow, Steve Sirr, and John Waddle went to Oberlin, Ohio, to participate in the Oberlin violin makers workshop. Below, on the left is a photo of the top of the Betts, compared with a CT scan of the top, and aphoto of our new digitally carved copy of the front of the Betts. Next to him is Gregg Alf. Here is a picture of Raymond Shryer smoothing the top for the Betts copy with a scraper. They liaised with my insurers and started work within days .