The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-04-07
AMERICAN srRApIvARlus
George w. Fisk, Famous Violin Max
er Native of Bennington.

living In Greeley, Colorado who has
achieved worldwide reputation as
the foremost violin maker OF the day
1t is with great pleasure that we re
print the, article as follows:
Colorado, Is. the best living violin
maker not only In America, but Ii
the world, is' the declaration EN-
bodied In an unsolicited letter writ.
ten by Edouard Remenyi shortly
before his death, In which that
world-renowned yiolinist and con
noisseur of violins said:
George w. Fisk,
The "Stadivarius" of Greeley.
My Dear Fisk:
/ am just for a few hours in Den.
yer. / have seen your violin, "Strad-
ivarius Formal" at the home Of our
friend. Jervis Joslin. l played on 1t,
and II is an excellent instrument,
magnificently made. The workman
ship is well-nigh perfect. ] say now,
unhesitatingly, that you are not only
the best living violin-maker in Ameri-
ca, but In the world.
And this from a man whose travels
extended around the world, and
whose fame as an artist had travelled
as far.
This Is but one of many compli.
mentary letters. written by famous
artists, which Mr.. Fisk has In his
possession. He chose this one to
present because of the high esteem
in which he held Remenyi and be-
cause that eminent artist needs no
introduction to the people of the
world.
David e. Fisher, first violinist of
the Grau Opera Company. OF New
York, in letter dated September 8,
1900. said:
1t affords me great pleasure to
write you with regard to the violin
which you made for me. AS you
know | took it right from your shop
and played the Seventh Concerto by
De Beriot and Legend" by Wien
iawski upon it, at a concert in your
town. / must say 1t was one of the
greatest surprises of my life. The
tone, and the ease with which II
played, was wonderful for a new In
strument that had never been used
have now played 1t three years and
1t has as fine and powerful tone
as any Cremona violin / have ever
played upon. Have had many
chances to see 1t for many times
its cost, but would not part with IT,
as there is a day coming when a
Fisk" violin will bring as much as
a "Strad." On several occasions
when visiting your shop. have play
ed on twenty or twenty-five yiolins
made by you--and must say you
are a Master Workman, to be able
to produce instruments all of which
are of such high grade.
George Lehman, solo and quartette
violinist. who ranks among the fore
most artists Of America. after having
visited all OF the violin shops OF note
In Paris and Berlin, said that he had
never heard new violin which pleas
ed him as did one OF Mr.. Fisk's make
And so we might run on with col
umns of such tributes to the mans
workmanship; for, as he expresses
1t, he has "a bushel-basketful OF
them" But the purpose herein Ii
only to present enough of them tc
SOW that 1t Is not merely In Mr.
Fisk's opinion. nor in that Of the
writer that he Is peer of living
violin-makers; but that the impress
sion prevails In the minds of many
Of the most celebrated violinists In
the world
Mr.. Fisk is himself very modest
In speaking OF his ability In his
chosen line of art-craft. He simply
says that he loves the work better
than any other that he has ever
tried, and that he is never salts
fed except when working at 1t. A
desire to create. he says, Is ever
In his soul, and the making of yiolins
satisfies this desire in conjunction
with furnishing occupation. Every
day he works in his little shop which
has served his purpose for thirty
six years. He has now nearly
completed his one hundred and fifty
first violin. He tries to make them
all alike, and during the last twenty
years he has never had to put one
on the shelf or take one apart for
changes after II had once been put
together. He Is now In his seventy
fifth year, having been born In
Bennington. VT. In 1888. Later he
moved to Hoosick Falls where he be-
came an expert pattern-maker. With
ten other members OF band OF
which he was a member when tn
Civil War broke out, he enlisted in
to the infantry band of the Second
Vermont Regiment, under Captain
Frank Crossett, leader, In which he
played baritone; and among other
great battles at which he was pre-
sent was the historic battle OF Bull
Run.
Mr. Fisk came from New York to
Colorado In 1870, with the Union
Colonists, headed by Horace Greeley
and N. c. Meeker. He settled in
Greeley, where he has lived almost
continuously since that time, and
where for thirty years he led
a theatre orchestra. He can read
music today readily. and plays al
most every evening for his own
amusement, meanwhile amusing al.
so his neighbors. End pssss = nv, whN
are charmed by the sweetness and
soulfulness OF his music, wnIcn rahss
from Grand Opera selections to
simple. beautiful melodies. He says
that he cannot play as he used to;
that his right arm once injured
does not carry as steady a down.
bow as IL once did. But he can still
coax tones OF rare sweetness out of
the violins OF his own make, into
which he works kindred qualities OF
his music radiant soul, which respond
to his loving touch with sweet ala
Gritty when he plays.
Mr.. Fisk has made as high as