It remained a treasured . Next to it is a CT scan of the back. Submit button. John Betts (1755-1823) was born in Lincolnshire. John Betts, London, c.1790 - Benjamin Hebbert Kemp Hall Passage,
It was given the the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, along with several other Cremonese masterpieces, by the last owner, Mrs. Gertrude Clarke Whittall in the mid 1930's, and remains there today. If you choose to continue using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. It is of a good Stradivarian model with quite rudimentary antiquing to the varnish. Violin by the Workshop of John Betts, London, c.1810 The violin is an absolutely stunning Nicol Amati copy. Betts was a talented maker himself and also employed some of the most talented English makers of the period, including . Instruments made at the workshop are offered for sale to the public, with the proceeds going to keep the workshop in operation. Some people have been surprised that modern violins could sound as good as a Stradivarius, but in three well documented tests now, this has been proven to be the case. The oevure of John Betts began with his training under Richard Duke, one of the most highly esteemed English luthiers of the 18thcentury who passed his craft along to only three students: his son Richard Duke Jr., John Betts, and Betts nephew Edward Betts, who later worked at his uncles workshop; together they carried on Dukes great artisanal legacy within their own family tradition. Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, "Betts". These cookies provide basic security, authentication and network management functions. A panel of experts there chose our violin over the three Stradivari's in the test. His teacher had been none other than the famous violinist, Giovanni Battista Viotti, who played a 1709 golden period Stradivari violin, so Arthur knew what he was doing. Betts instruments tend to exhibit very high standards of craftsmanship and tone. It was he who established the great Betts workshop in Holborns Royal Exchange around 1782. It simply isn't true that old violins always sound better than new ones. It was in this environment of exquisite craftsmanship that this violin was created a few years before John Betts death. SKU 34098 Categories Violins, Violins $20,100-$35,000. If on the other hand, you are a person who cannot afford to buy such a violin, you might be able to actually own a fine violin which is very close, for a fraction of the cost. 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. After many years working for Duke, Betts became the foreman of his workshop and eventually took over the business. The Betts Project - Rossow Violins Arthur managed the Betts shop after his brother's death in 1823, together with his nephew . , circa 1790Cello, John Betts John Dodd and Thomas Tubbs were among the shop's best suppliers of bows. We also have a selection of instruments and bows for private sale all year round. The 2010 project was to make a copy of the "Ole Bull" Guarneri violin, which was finished in 2011 . The workmanship and varnish have much the same . 11th Floor New York, NY 10019 In the last year, they spent several months painstakingly putting back together my severely damaged 1790 John Betts cello. Please contact us for more information. About the violin. After many years working for Duke, Betts became the foreman of his workshop and eventually took over the business. Article. 244-250 West 54th Street Talk to the Brompton's Team +44 (0)207 580 9550 . Betts was one of the first in this country to do extensive business in Italian instruments, and a large number of fine violins found their way into this country in his time. In the United States, the 'Betts' found a home first in the collection of John Taylor Roberts, [32] and then with Gertrude Clarke Whittall, who, in 1935, donated it along with three other Stradivari instruments a violin, a viola, and a cello and four Tourte bows to the Library of Congress of Washington, D.C. The varnishing was be done by Jeff Phillips and Antoine Nedelec in Oberlin. They kept the company name but changed the labels to Arthur and John Betts. John died in 1823 and the shop continued as the centre of expertise in London, under his sons John and Arthur, until 1867. In 1781 he was established independently in Holborn, moving to Royal Exchange in 1782. Suite B Campbell, CA 95008 (408) 879-9930 . Fendts. If you are a person who is fortunate enough that you can afford to buy a genuine Stradivari, Guarneri, or Amati, by all means, you should do it! John Betts, Violin, c.1790, London ~ Frederick W. Oster Fine Violins One of the most important and influential violin makers in England in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, John Betts was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1752. It's questionable how many violins John Betts himself made, but he employed an illustrious group of makers such as Tobin, Vincenzo and Joseph Panormo, both Bernard Simon Fendts and John Furber, along with other less well known names. The violin is in stunning original condition with no cracks. It was great to have the "Betts" violin in Oberlin for the two weeks of the 2011 workshop. Contact Us. Gregg Alf was in charge of the varnishing of this violin, and did a beautiful job. In 1923, Jay C. Freeman of Wurlitzer approached Waddell in Scotland and came away with the "Betts" as well as the "Leduc" Guarneri. The woods used for the copy are selected for their density, grain structure, and visual similarity to the Betts violin. Tel: +1 212 307 7224 The 'Betts' Stradivari of 1704 - Tarisio 2023 Fine Fretted String Instruments. Arthur died in 1847, leaving the shop to his two sons, Arthur II and John II. One of the many things that is pleasing about this beautiful instrument is that it represents some of the very best work of both makers. At this stage, the assessment is free and without obligation. Betts was a violinist, teacher, and violin dealer. Cookie Policy This violin, a copy of the "Ole Bull" Guarneri, is finished and has been sold. Steve Sirr and John Waddle have been CT scanning violins, violas, and cellos since 1989. In about 1820, an individual entered Betts' shop at the Royal Exchange in London and offered the violin in its pristine state. This catalog data provides the details known to the Library of Congress regarding the corresponding items and may assist users in making independent assessments of the legal status of these items as related to their desired uses. It remained a treasured part of Betts' collection, but after the death of his son in 1852, the violin came into the hands of Hills of London and then a succession of distinguished owners. Not surprisingly, the nephew thought the violin should belong to the firm, but Arthur claimed that since he bought it with his own money, (one guinea) it was his. Article. Here is a picture of Raymond Shryer smoothing the top for the Betts copy with a scraper. The striking one-piece maple back of medium and broad curl descending from left to right; the maple ribs of narrower curl; the maple head of broad curl; the two-piece spruce table of mostly fine grain narrowing toward the flanks; the varnish a golden . (born February 17, 1949 in Moncton, New Brunswick) is a teacher and a New Brunswick politician. Chris Germain is third from the left in the front row. 1786 John Betts violin label. Brompton's is delighted to offer complimentary Violin appraisals for insurance, probate or sale purposes. Violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1704, "Betts" - The auction record for this maker is $61,875 in Nov 2001, for a cello. 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. If you are interested in purchasing one of the instruments, contact Chris Germain. 1795 John Betts for Sale at Fine Fretted String Instruments Items included here with the permission of the rights holders are indicated as such in the bibliographic record for each item. Arthur Betts and Charles Vernon continued the shop for a few years before Arthurs famous purchase of the 1704 Betts Stradivari for the princely sum of one guinea. Article. Article. John Betts came from Stamford, Lincolnshire, and came to London in 1765 to apprentice with Richard Duke, rising to become the shop foreman after seven years, and eventually buying the business from Duke's daughter, reforming the company under his own name by 1781. . Suggested credit line: Library of Congress, Music Division. In June of 2011, Steve Rossow, Steve Sirr, and John Waddle went to Oberlin, Ohio, to participate in the Oberlin violin makers workshop. | Part of that status comes from the circumstances of its acquisition. By 1920, the "Betts" was owned by R. D. Waddell of Glasgow. Violin maker. Betts Workshop Violin, London circa 1820 | SOLD Photograph (Form). His shop was staffed by some of the best 18th and 19th century British craftsmen, including Vincenzo Panormo, Joseph Hill II, Henry Lockey Hill, Richard Tobin, Bernard Simon Fendt, and John Furber. Using our new process of reverse engineering, and choosing wood carefully, we can make consistently good sounding violins that are comparable to instruments made in the past and not accessible to the public. It's questionable how many violins John Betts himself made, but he employed an illustrious group of makers such as Tobin, Vincenzo and Joseph Panormo, both Bernard Simon Fendts and John Furber, along with other less well known names. Article. Violin making is what John was trained to do at The Violin Making School of America, in Salt Lake City, Utah (1978-1981). I am part of an ongoing collaboration with Luthier Stephen Rossow and Radiologist Steven A. Sirr, MD., on a project that uses existing and emerging technologies to explore the structure of- and ultimately replicate- famous violins. He drilled holes for the upper and lower lobes and then connected them rather than working from a stencil type of pattern. He became known as an expert dealer and businessman, and was appointed Official Valuer of violins to the Customs Office. John Edward Betts - Wikipedia John Betts cello, London circa 1810 | Johnson String Instrument The shop thrived for another 20 years before finally closing in 1867, having firmly linked the family name with some of the worlds greatest instruments. The "Betts" is among the most legendary violins from Stradivari's workshop. Betts instruments tend to exhibit very high standards of craftsmanship . The Oberlin violin makers workshop has been in operation for fifteen years. He moved to London at the age of 12 to apprentice with Richard Duke. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. The Strad magazine has generously allowed us to reproduce two articles in this presentation: Exhibition Report: Born in the USA (July 2006) and National Treasure (November 2006). It can carve wood more accurately than a human can. Ward owned the violin for over 40 years; on his death it passed to the Hills. John Betts was born in Stamford, England, in 1752. [Web.] The workmanship is solid and sober, without being refined and artistic like the work of Betts' master. We were allowed to play it. John Betts. It will be varnished in June of 2012. How much is my John Betts Violin worth? Professional violin, to quote a veteran Gypsy style player. Violin - John Betts | Baroque Violin Shop Arthur Betts used the violin for the rest of his career. His refusal to allow Charles to profit from the purchase led to the partners falling out. The instrument made by the group involved in the previous year's class is also varnished, strung up, and played. After having been painstakingly set up and made ready to play by the expert luthiers at our workshop, our professional violinist played it and was delighted by the rich timbre, radiance and maturity of its powerful warm voice and in recording the audio samples for this violin, he was able to bring the distinctive character of its voice to life. By William Meredith Morris. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200155591/. Betts, the leading instrument dealer of his time in London, was one of the first to import Italian instruments. He moved to London at the age of 12 to apprentice with Richard Duke. A sheer joy to play! Amati, in collaboration with leading experts, have published a few key books in the field of stringed instruments. 1730, "Kreisler", Violin by Giuseppe Guaneri, Cremona, ca. The "Betts" is among the most legendary violins from Stradivari's workshop. Article. He made his own instruments as well as collecting and trading the work of old masters. He is holding the violin we made there. The history of the Stradivarius violin, now known as "the Betts", up to the early 1820's, is completely unknown, but it was at that time that an unknown person walked into the violin shop of Arthur Betts and his nephew, with the violin and offered it for sale. Length of back 35.4cm, stop 132/193mm The following images are of violin known as the Betts, by Antonio Stradivari, made in 1704. With its expressive personality, the instrument presented here was likely made by one of his students and reflects the influence of "Old . Inscribed inside the top in the upper treble bout are the words: The Betts / Stradivarius; in the lower treble bout the inscription reads: Purchased from / the duchess / of Camposelice / by W. E. Hill & Son / March 1892. If you currently own a John Betts Violin, click the button below to receive a free valuation: 2023 Brompton's Auctioneers Limited | The First Floor 33 Percy St. London W1T 2DF, Web design by Karolo His own workmanship was replaced by the efforts of his many employees after Read more. In addition to his work as a maker, Betts imported the highest-caliber Read More Italian instruments to London, and was partly responsible for the ascent of Stradivari's reputation to equal Stainer's in public opinion of the period. He did not make many instruments himself, but employed excellent workmen, such as the Panormos, John Carter, Edward Betts, Bernhard Fendt, &c. The work is excellent, but poor instruments were occasionally sold by him, bearing his label. Ingles & Hayday would like to send you information about our events and services, by post, telephone and email. 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. Betts became known as an expert connoisseur and was partially responsible for developing the outstanding reputation of Stradivari instruments in London. Flagship Location 7711 Eastern Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 New Gaithersburg Rental Location 830 Muddy Branch Road Gaithersburg, MD 20878 A tradition of excellence since 1996 Call us for more information (301) 652-7070 1 (800) 317-9452 Hours Tues - Fri. Flagship Location: 10:00am - 6:00pm . He was born in 1752 in Stamford and died in 1823 in London. Violins and cellos for sale in London from Bridgewood & Neitzert Ltd: The UK's leading violin dealers, restorers & makers. Betts business became a focus for the market for old Cremonese violins. The violin in the photo above has been sold. The violin has a two piece back of . A CNC machine is a precision carving machine. 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. Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as The height of the two f-holes varies, which might be explained by a technique that Stradivari used. Photograph (Form). Betts Workshop Violin, London circa 1820 | Sold He opened an attractive premises and amongst his luthiers were . photograph | 20 photographs : color | Photograph (Form). You can find out the value of a Violin by John Betts and the amount you could expect if you sold your John Betts Violin at auction.
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