New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-05
AN OLD VIOLIN MYSTERY.
ALL Mo"ERN MAKERS BAFFLED.

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4 DOCTOR EMPLOYS HIS LrIsuRE IN PERFfcTINo
ASrBsrIiUrE FOR CREMoNA VARNish'
1t is generally believed that the Cremona violin
makers occasioned considerable toll trouble ana 'cA
tlon through their non committal nature. They ict
the secret of their mastery violnvarnlsh de WIN
thcm and the musical world therefore, inclncs 10 inc
opinion that the Cicmona artists were the closest
Kind Of q CORPORATION. since they possessed ncthcr
heart nor tongue The efforts OF the m''a'oiS vi 'o
Crcmona school, well as of violin-makers inc ""rio
over to discover the secret of the Ccm"na Vah'sh'
would take vouifcs to record int proba"y 'ho
process has been hurled under too many ages to he I'M
esrfhcd and It Will sleep for all time, going down
through the ages hand In hand In undisurbed security
with tho secret Of Adams grave.
Although the old Cremona volin-ma,Sers could give
ponts ~ they wcre alive to-day, to the closest cor
poraton under the sun, there are, nevertheless some
yfolins made now that in some respects equal their
venerable Italian ancestors But I'm two respects at
lssst, the Cremonas lead the world Your true old
Cremona boast Of rather congratulate Itself on
the fact that other violin can rank with 1t In the
cccp cd the extreme Responsibility of a
Cremons ancestry vouchsafes In the language OF TO-
days practical world there is where the Crcmona has
tho bulge on its rivals. These old Italian volins
have been singing down tho ages since the Crcmona
period from about 1000 to 1888 to the present time.
u "
mellowing vino. and constant is as necessary In
developing all the resources Of violin as practice Is
In perf@ciing any art.
NO CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOR TIME.
There Is no substitute for time in tho qualifications
necessary 10 make OF tho most perfect things In
art, and the violin makers who bake their volins, or
perhaps the material In order TO give their instru
ments old and crisp tone, take Father limo by
surprise only momentariy. Baking takes the life out
Iu.A ~.x
roasted is OF about much practical after few
real vigorous Wagncrian seasons as the average man
sftcr seventeen Turkish baths in ono week.
1t Is easy enough to get old wood. When the old
hotel that stood on the site now occupied by the Wash
inGton building torn down. two violin enthn
slasts OF this city got one of Its beams. which was
nearly goo years old. Furthermore II isaid that tho
expert violin maker to day probably knows as much
about the science Of his art his prototypes But
tbcy all stick on the varnsh question: the varnsh
question sticks thcm and sometimes the varnish won't
stick their vions It should. Altogether 1t is
= sticky question: and now that American scientists
are coming TO II with confidence born OF the dis
coYcry OF the telegraph, telephone, phonograIh and
shakcspearcs impOsitlons, something ought to como
out of their efforts Ono extremely interesting phase
OF the problem has been Investigated by profession
al man Of this city. whose hobby IS violins and
violinvarnlsh. He inclines to the opinion that
no has solved the problem OF VOHhVaFhlsh
in having discovered method Of making
varnish- sheets ont OF amber and OIL This
claim Will set the heads OF the musical world wag-
cling. for vloin-makers by the score have bothered
themselves more than a little amber DR.. Delos
Palmer. of West Forty fth-st, is the originator OF
this sheet varIsh. and he explained his theories and
showed several Of his volins which the varnish Is
used. the other night, TO the writer. who tested
tho Instruments with pleasing results.
DIR. Palmer. who is interested in other scientific
drawn into the violin question about
eight years ago
AN ACCIDENT THAT MAS RESULTED WELL
A friend Of his who had violin store I'm Broadway,
asked him. he passing, to step In and help him
on a violin that had been badly vanished lie got
Interested IN the varnish problem at once. and for
FIVE years studied and experimental on the matter
without success He learned how TO make viOns.
however, and besides that collected few valuable
Instruments among them being an Amatistrad
Magnl and another Italian patriarch which saw light
In 1898 These Instruments excellent criterlons
by which the Doctor can Judge his own violins "a
they advance through the stages Of construction to
completion. Three years ago DR.. Palmer hit on the
varnlsh that he now al Is made OF amber and
oil, the method of preparation being of course known
only to DR. Palmer. The combination has a trans
parency that, when flushed with red cooring run
ming to orange makes extremely slightly and beau
tlfu covering The cOlOrlng is done something aftcr
Tho way that calico is coored and the varied results
are attained according to desire The varnsh Is pre-
pared in sheets, of the desired thickness ana Is
stretch he'd the wood side of the sheet being
prepared especially so as to give it the proper ad-
heSive quality.
So far the varnsh has chung to the wood like
part Of It and time alone can fully demonstrate the
success of DR. Palmer's experiment. He has made
six or seven vlolins Unaided. catching the time for
his work outside Of professional hours His work Is
done In a little workshop In his honsA Besides the
viOns he has made a number OF tops and backs ana
has also found time to repair some Instruments be-
longing 10 his friends. For busy professional man
the workmanship Of the instruments is most credit
able Their tones clear and even, and this TO-
suit Dr. Palmer says Is due TO the evenness Of the
vsrnisb He has found IL to be successful In soften
Ing the rough tones of a most uncompromisngly harsh
Instrument which was one of the first vioins he
covered with hts varuish
SAMPLE or WHAT THE NEW VARNISH CAN Do.
Before It covered he played on 1t to friend OF
his musician. and Its notes So harsh that they
drove the musician of the room. Later on after 1t
was vanished, he carried to his friends house and
PLAYED en- 1t without disclosing the volin's identity
That's the best violin you have made YET Doctoi'
was the musicians cOnme0t-
Dr. Palner's argument for his sheetvarnish is that
Il preserves an even thickness all over tho VIOLIN
esult that other methods he claims. do not always
COMPASS The tops and backs of volins are fashioned
by following out digging and planning the wood into
shape, and In tho process of formation lends" are
M AIDE In the curves ard hoOws. that is the grain OF
The wood is OK posed the etc. Wood loft In
this raw aud "cutnto" condition Is an easy prey TO
n mos pherc vicssitudes and covering necessary
TO protect the wood from climatic changes mat pro-
loction Is afforded by varnish, but Dr. Palmer be-
eycs that his goes further In his methods than those
usually employed In applying varnsh to followed
out wood he says that IL is liable TO sink into the
ends thus In one way, preventing even thick
moss Of yarnsh all the instrument Sheetvarnish,
he says gives an covering because 1t is of equal
thc itself and II the Instruments curves and
bollows are symmetrcally fashioned. It's acoustic
nroperties are logically and perfectly supplemented
ind aided BY the varnish that so faithfully follows
The paths Of tho designers tools.
Two volIDs covered with DR.. Palmer's varnish are
In citv mot far