Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-05-04
A FAMOUS VIOLIN.
1t Was Made by Gemundcr and Was Once
owned by WilhstsnJ.

owned by WuhstmJ.
Quite stir was created recently
among violin connoisseurs by the dis
covery OF an old Gemunder violin. the |
whereabouts OF which had been un-
known or lost sight OF for many years. |
The instrument was discovered among
the effects OF n professional musician
of this city who died several years ago,
and whose widow has since carefully
guarded the violin MS her most precious
possession. Need Of money. however.
at last forced her to part with it, and
it is now the property of Mr.. Charles
Ii. Lehman, Jr., OF this city.
This violin is undoubtedly one of
the finest creations of that great mas
ter George Gemunder. and dates from
the year 1859. when he was at the
height of his powers. 1t follows, in
structure, the style of Stradivarius.
SO close, indeed, is its resemblance to
the genuine Stradivarius that when.
in the course of his travels through
the United States, Gle Bull saw this
same violin at Columbus, O., he un-
hesitatingly pronounced it to be the
genuine Stradivarius
The violin has quite an interesting
history. Beams from the old Dutch
Church on Lower Broadway furnished
] the wood OF which it was fashioned.
In passing it might be remarked that
this church was the first to be erected
by the Dutch on Manhattan Island; the
. wood of the violin is, therefore. nearly
: two hundred years old.
!: Immediately on its completion il
y 1859 it was exhibited in Baltimore
> and many may yet remember thu
J great sensation it created there il
: musical circles. Shortly after thi
- the violin was presented by Mr.
Y Gemunder to Mr.. Eckhardt, a well
. known musician and conductor of &C
I lumbus. Ohio. 1t was while in tn
e possession of Mr. Eckhardt that Ol
! Bull saw it. He liked it so well tina
he used it at several Of his concerts.
u The violin remained in the posses
s. SIGN of Eckhardt until 1878. The
!! Wilhelmj, fascinated by its wonderft
= beauty of tone, prevailed up on tn
~ Columbus impresario to exchange th
8 struments. During the year that 70
y lowed Wilhelmj frequently used tf
II violin at his concerts, both in Ne
ef York and elsewhere in the Unite
nc States. Later. Wilhemj sold the vi
" lin to another amateur at a big pric
'e AT this point all traces of the viol
g were lost until recently when by acc
"a ri ...@,, I all, -. Il
es Since its purchase Mr.. Lehman hi
ed taken the violin to Mr.. Gemunde
lh who is still living, though at ;
OF advanced age, at Astoria. Tears
es' 10Y filled the old masters eyes wht
ay he saw his masterwork again, for
y. Immediately recognized it. He
ed once offered Mr.. Lehman 5000. or ty
ch of his later violins. for the eldest Chi
OF of his art, but both offers were refuse
al, Mr. Gemunder said the violin W
es. the finest he had ever made, with t
on. exception of his well-known "kais
'us violine," which attracted much mark
to attention ut the Vienna Exposition
'an 1873. As has been said, the vio
on initiates the finest models OF Stra'
varius The simple classical outlir
ul- blend tremendously with the grace
rk, yet manly curves OF the back and bel
is The scroll, which is executed wi
es, great holdness and the highest tinis
in testifies to the artistic eye and train
llet hand of the maker. The varnish is
ngs a deep orange color, and in brilliant
she transparency and its velvet-like t.
ace ture rivals the masterpieces of Stra
md varius. The tone is full, sweet a
an noble, with an evenness OF quail
cry from the highest TO the lowest reg
ter which is rs rare AS 1t is satisfyi
erts w VIC eai.