Share your favorites on Show & Tell

My Great Grandfather's Fiddle (Jacobus Stainer) Late 1800's, early 1900's

In Music Memorabilia > Show & Tell.
jimborasco's loves69 of 320Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Photo, circa 1907Green Stone Ring in Gold
9
Love it
0
Like it

walksoftlywalksoftly loves this.
mtg75mtg75 loves this.
jimborascojimborasco loves this.
LongingsLongings loves this.
RonMRonM loves this.
blunderbuss2blunderbuss2 loves this.
officialfuelofficialfuel loves this.
trunkmantrunkman loves this.
miKKoChristmas11miKKoChristmas11 loves this.
See 7 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 11 years ago

    nsvmom
    (36 items)

    I don't know much about this, chinablue may be able to comment further, given it was her grandfather's. I know that my great-grandfather played this on horseback on his way to college. That was around 1905-1909. The tag inside says "Jacobus Stainer, made in Germany" I have installed a new bridge for it, bus still have the old one. I have the original bow, with the original horse hair (the one in the pic displayed with the violin), but I also bought a new one (that's the small one in the case). Once, my grandparent's home was broken into, the case was removed from the closet and opened, but the thieves didn't take it.. Thank goodness!

    I put this as an Unsolved Mystery because it needs a category, and I'm not sure which it belongs. Also, if anyone has info about the company, please share :)

    Oh, and for the record, no, sadly, I cannot play it... However, one of my old high school teachers could, and did. It plays beautifully when someone who knows how has access to it :)

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

    logo
    Music
    See all
    Beatles 1981 GERMAN ISSUE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR LP SEALED! TRUE STEREO P LANE +3
    Beatles 1981 GERMAN ISSUE MAGICAL M...
    $96
    Grateful Dead Europe '72 The Complete Recordings 73 CD Box NUMBER 6924 MINT
    Grateful Dead Europe '72 The Comple...
    $1,375
    Beatles ULTRA RARE VERY FIRST ISSUE WINCEHSTER, VA PRESSING ABBEY ROAD LP !
    Beatles ULTRA RARE VERY FIRST ISSUE...
    $67
    Beatles 1964 MONO ' THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN AND THEIR GUESTS ' LP SEALED
    Beatles 1964 MONO ' THE BEATLES WIT...
    $510
    logo
    Beatles 1981 GERMAN ISSUE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR LP SEALED! TRUE STEREO P LANE +3
    Beatles 1981 GERMAN ISSUE MAGICAL M...
    $96
    See all

    Comments

    1. nsvmom nsvmom, 11 years ago
      Thanks for the love, Mikko! :)
    2. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      What a beautiful and exciting violin – and a marvelous and charming account! I am smiling as I conjure up an image of him playing on horseback while en route to college. (UVA?, perhaps?) I am so very happy that you have this!

      Jacobus /Jacob Stainer was a celebrated violin maker of the 17th century. According to Wikipedia, he was the earliest and best known of the Austrian luthiers, and his designs influenced construction in many countries, among them Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Italy. He was born in Austria, but I also find him identified as a German. Leopold Mozart preferred Stainer’s instruments over those of his contemporaries’. (See link roger-hargrave link below.)

      Your violin is marvelous, but I cannot affirm that it is by the same person. The font in the label is not authentic to the period in which the original Jacob Stainer worked. I wonder if this could have been made by a descendant of his? I think it might well be a copy of one of his celebrated violins. His work was much copied in the 19th century, and there was a great demand for violins in 19th century America, per the first link below. Is there anything else on this paper label?

      http://www.violinmakers.biz/germany.php

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Stainer

      http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/Violins/Before1800/Stainerviolin.html
      http://www.roger-hargrave.de/PDF/Artikel/Strad/Artikel_1987_09_Jacobus_Stainer_1697_PDF.pdf
    3. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      Greatgrandfather! Sorry! : )
    4. chinablue chinablue, 11 years ago
      Sorry, but I don't have much more information than what you already have here, sweetie. I think this would have been given to him rather than purchased, most likely handed down to him. He would not have bought something as 'frivolous' as this, though he enjoyed it immensely. He was born in 1882 and it probably belonged to his father or perhaps his grandfather. He also had an old banjo that dad's only sibling, his evil sister Mary, chose to sell at a garage sale, along with many other things.. but I digress. *taking a deep calming breath*
      And for miKKo, he would play it to entertain himself on his 50+ mile trek to VPI (now better known as Virginia Tech) where he was a cadet and student. His horse knew the way and he would play as they plodded along.
    5. nsvmom nsvmom, 11 years ago
      Thanks for the love everybody! And thanks for the links and info, Mikko! Nothing else is written on the inside tag.. I did, however, notice that it has STAINER printed in black below the neck on the back. I'm certain that it's copy, but it's at least an OLD copy. :)
    6. nsvmom nsvmom, 11 years ago
      Thanks for the love, everyone! :)
    7. jimborasco jimborasco, 11 years ago
      MiKKo, you ARE the best!! I learned to play "Faded Love" on this violin.
    8. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      Thank you kindly, Jimbo!!! What a wonderful memory! : )

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.