OLD VIOLINS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1925, Page 1

OLD VIOLINS.

AXI) OTHERS XOT SO OLD. AUCKLAND. May Id. There is a custom in the violin trade which causes much chagrin to nuinhers of people. l.a-t month a lady ut Rangiora let it he known that she had an old violin labelled inside ‘•Antonins St nidi van'll.-, Cremouensis. l-’aeibal Anno. 171-.'' She was followed by n .Matamata man; who -found that an old in.st ruineut. which he had had for years, bore a like inscription. but the date was I7'_’i). Now an Onclmnga resident, win; must, lie either a wag or easily deceived, writes to say he has a violin labelled as a Slrad, with the date 171 ft. but that the label also bears the wolds: ".Made in CV.eclio-Slovaki.” As a mat ter of fact, a “St radivnrius" label inside a violin means nothing except, probably, that the instrument is a factory-made one. A reporter who called on one of the lending violin dealers of Auckland was told all about it at once. By good luck he found a group of four men discussing an. old fiddle "ith a “Slrad” label, and was invited to look into iis inside and see for himself. “The trouble about this,” said the dealer, “is that it is dated two years after Stradivarius died. This fiddle was no more made lit St rndivariiis than that banjo over there.'’' “Yes,’’ said another of the group, polling out a wallet. “and what’s more, von can buy the label without the violin.” lie produced a small , piece of dingy paper inscribed with the magic name and a date in the eighteenth century. “Where can one get those labels C asked the reporter. ‘Ah!” said tin- connoisseur knowingly. “that would he telling.” The dealer took up the theme at

this stage. ‘•Violins with that mark are being turned out by thousands, and have been for years. They come from factories everywhere in Germany. France. Italy, and even .lupan; all brand new too. There is not one elm nee in a thousand that a violin labelled ‘Slrad’ is even possibly genuine.“ “Why. Stradivari us made I’JOf) violins.” said the owner of the label, “and only 1“0 have been identified as bis.” The dealer produced a French violin and another from Japan, both labelled to show that tle-y were copies of a, Stradivarius model; al--> a German violin bearing the actual maker’s name and address. Good makers, he explained, put their own names upon their handiwork. A factory-made article was labelled “Stradivarius” as

often as not. but that inscription on a. new violin, of course, deceived nobody. “Kvery month people bring in old violins to me and want to know n they are ‘Steads.’ “ In- add,--!. “If I say these instruments were only (heap liddl-es in the lirst place lb y often get offended. Not long ago a bren-glit me -me which be thought might I-, wort!: JCltltm. ami ! bad ;n tell him I would not give o- for it. A.!I the sain may s-me- dev find a real Strnd. tun no om- lien- would venture to say it was genuine. The only way would lie to send g to Mill and Sons in I undoii. who an- tb-' recognised ant huri t ies.” So mm b for a popular delusion. wary : ;-w- svraCTa TKK WAG MR. “ I'll walk volt a mile. Donald, and pul a, liver on it.'' “ Aon will, will you: What's making you so ‘lrcsh’ these davs?” “ Maltexo, Donald, ray bov. I lee a taking it for a week now, and feel like a two-year-old. The mnukcv-gtaml business hasn’t a look in with Maltexo (Wilson’s Mali Ex--11 aei).”