This beautifully made German violin bears a facsimile Stradivarius label but is clearly very much in the style of the best work from the Ernst Heinrich Roth workshop in Markneukirchen.
Heberlein workshop, labeled Friedrich August Heberlein, Markneukirchen
Rudolph Schuster worked with master makers in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Berlin and Vienna (with Dr. Thomastik) before setting up his own shop in 1930.
Born in 1841, Jean Baptiste Coiln studied with his father in Mirtecourt before establishing his own workshop. He also worked for makers in Paris as well as Mirecourt. He made excellent quality in the style of Collin-Mezin as well J.B.Vuillaume.
Eugene John Albert emigrated to the U.S.A. from Germany as a child in 1855 with his father John. He worked with his father and took over the business in 1887. He became one of the most important American violin makers of the latter part of the 19th century.
Robert Glier trained in Markneukirchen and like so many talented German makers seeking better opportunities than they had in their home country, came to the USA in 1885. For years he worked for Rudolf Wurlitzer in Cincinnati, later establishing his own successful workshop.
Robert Glier was born and trained in Markneukirchen, moving to Cincinnati in 1885. He first worked for Wurlitzer before establishing his own successful shop.
Anders Halverson emigrated from Sweden to Chicago in 1924 to work for Lewis & Son, then moved to Nashville, Michigan two years later. He established a shop with William Meyers which became popular with musicians across the Midwest.
The Gustav August Ficker instruments were made for William Lewis & Sons of Chicago, one of the largest and most important violin shops in the U.S. They opened in the 1890’s and continued for almost a century. The Ficker violins, violas and cellos were always of the highest quality and always in demand.
Gustave Bazin was a member of the famous Bazin bow making family. He worked with important violin makers such as Emile Laurent and Collin-Mezin before returning to Mirecourt making instruments in the Parisian style.
Max Willibald Schmidt was born and trained in Markneukirchen but came to America in 1913 during the great migration. He established his shop in San Francisco where he worked for a number of years before moving to Seattle.
For the past 100 years, the firm of Ernst Heinrich Roth has made excellent quality string instruments first in Markneukirchen and after the late 1940's in Bubenreuth. This violin is a fine example of their more recent work.
Drozen began his career in Prague working with J.B.Vavra and B.Lantner before moving to Turnov in 1925. His violins became popular with professionals and soloists, both in Czechoslovakia and around the world. In fact, one of his violins was used by the great violinist Jan Kubelik.
Horvath is an interesting young maker who has had success in various international competitions. This violin has a brilliant, responsive tone.
In the late 19th. And early twentieth centuries, there were a number of excellent workshops in Mirecourt. This violin probably dates from the early twentieth century.