Graham guardian., 1910-05-20
COSTLY VIOLINS
A Genuine Stradivarius Is
Worth from Ten to Fifty
Thousand Dollars

Inc announcement that the col
lection of violins which belonged to
the late Mr.. George Haddock, the
famous musician, is to be sold has
aroused the keenest interest among
dealers and collectors, says the Lon
don Td-Bits. The Haddock fiddles
are reputed to be the finest private
collection in existence, the gem be-
ing the Emperor Stradivarius, pro-
nounced by Joachim to be the finest
violin he had ever seen, and which
is stated to be worth $4,000. 1t is
nearly 200 years old, and notwith-
standing it's great age, looks as fresh
as if it had but yesterday left the
hands of Antonio Stradivari, the
famed violin maker of Cremona.
This is somewhat exceptional val
ue to be placed on violin, the price
of each of the 600 Strads which are
known to be in existence ranging
from $500 to 81. 500. Perhaps the
only violin which can be compared
with the Emperor Stradivarius of
the Haddock collection is the one
which Paganini left to the city of
Genoa, for which as much as G10,-
900 has been offered. The Strad
presented to the late DR.. Joachim
on the occasion of his jubilee cost
81 200, while that presented to Lady
Halle by the Duke of Edinburgh,
the late Earl of Dudley, and the late
Lord Hardwicke, cost 81 900.
When Sarasate's will was proved
two years ago, it was found that he
had bequeathed $4,000 pounds and
a Strad each to the Conservatives
of Paris and Madrid, the money be-
ing for the purpose of founding
prizes bearing his name. Each Of
the violins was valued at about
G2, 900, one of the instruments hav-
ing been discovered in a very ro-
matte manner. At one time it was
the property of Genevan black
smith, to whom it had been given
by a traveller who could not pay for
the shoeing of his horse.
For years it hung on the wall of
the blacksmith's house, until after
many years another horseman, M.
Boissier, who was also a violinist
and collector of violins, came
along. The blacksmith asked M.
Boissier to buy the violin from him
at his own price, or else to find him
a purchaser. M. Boissier carried it
away, cleaned off the smoke, dis
covered the Strad MARYLAND did
not defraud the blacksmith.
The story reminds one that the
favorite violin of M. Eugene Ysaye
"a magnificent Strad, valued at
G3, 900, which was stolen from his
dressing room three years ago, while
in St. Petersburg-is said to have
changed hands at one period for 33s,
being sold at that price by an un-
known traveller to a waiter in rail-
way restaurant in a small Moravian
town.
Twice at least $4,000 has been
paid by private treaty for Strads,
and 81 400 was paid for Belts
the title which it gained
from the following incident: Belts
was a music seller in London some
sixty years ago, and one day a
stranger entered his shop, offering
a violin for sale at the low price of
one guinea. The dealer at once
jumped at the bargain, put down
his guinea and secured the instru-
ment. He retained it in his family
for number of years, and, after
changing hands several times, it
was bought at the figure named by
a foreign nobleman.
Five years ago S700 was paid for
Strad which for years was played
upon by strolling musician in the
Noting Hill and Marylebone dis
tricts of London; while some time
ago 81 900 was paid for a fiddle
which had previously been knocked
down at an auction sale to laborer
for 6s. Fortunately for him the Ia
borer knew something of the value
of fiddles, and few days later sold
his treasure to a dealer in curios for
$500. Ultimately the latter sold il
for 81 ,6OO-truly a record bargain,