The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-07
Frederic Easkin's [ etterl
THE VALUE Of vIoLlNS

washington. D. c., Sept. s.-The 1
other day. a jubilant gentleman
carrying = violin case walked into
a large music store and asked TO
see the head of the violin DEPART
ment.
II have here q Stradivarius vio-
lin ne explained, triumphantly re-
moving the instrument from its
case and holding it aloft 20 that all
might be privileged to gaze there!
on. I'm told they're very rare ana
bring big prices. and would hke1
to know just what would be con-
sidered fair price for this one:
I'VE already received an oner OF
$500 for it, but 4 friend OF mine
who is a violinist says that Is muen
too little"
The clerks looked politely inter-
ested. but they did not seem Inn
pressed. Presently the head OF the
violin department appeared ana
picked up the violin. There was q
noticeable Lack of enthusiasm IN
his manner as he examined it.
How did you get the instru-
ment!" he asked.
NWhy. twas among my deceased
uncle's effects which were recent
~ turned eyer to me-" explained
| the proud owner. "The old gentle
man used to play on it . good deal,
but he had no idea Of its real value.
Neither had I until happened to
see the name of Stradivari In the
inside. Then l remembered hear
! ing somewhere that old violins OF
that make were valuable"
but did you not see this? In
l'quired the violin expert, pointing
to fine imprint at the base which
Tread, Made in Germany, You
did? Well, that little mark proves
beyond question that your violin
is not a genuine Stradivarius, even
if the Indifferent workmanship did
not do so. Genuine Strads are not
made in Germany. This violin. I
regret to say, is not valuable. 1t Is
probably not worth more than 49,"
When the erstwhile jubilant gen.
tleman had departed in great dejec-
ton of spirit, the violin expert said:
I'VE are always having to take the
Joy out of life like that am COM
PEELED to disappoint many people
every year. The ignorance of the
public on the subject of violins is
Incredible. People who are not
otherwise easily fooled allow them
selves to be completely taken in by
newly printed Stradivarius or
Guarnerius labels inside their vio-
Inns. This man who was just here
was fortunate. He had the violin
bequeathed to him. He did not pay
thousands for it, which many per-
sons do"
Labels May Lie.
As a matter of fact, he said, the
label is one of the least important
things to be considered in deter
mining the value Of violin. The
main points of interest are the
lines of the instrument, the wood
the varnish, the scroll, the F holes
the characteristic tone Of the in
strument, the general character Of
the workmanship\and the many lit
tie mannerismS characteristic OF
the maker. There Is a strong sug-
gestion of boldness and power abou:
the violins made by Joseph Guar
neri, for instance, that is altogether
lacking in the nne, sweet-toned in
2 struments of Nicholas Amati, an.
other of the famous old Italian mas
, tiers.
t 1t is a simple matter to procure
well executed counterfeit label,
: and paste them in any violin, mucl
$ easier. than it is to forge the sigma
e ture of a famous artist. Whel
: blackened by little dust they wi!
$ easily deceive the laymall. Yet il
S the case Of the cheaper yiolins
a there is no intent to deceive. TIL,
D labels are pasted in by moderl
l makers merely as trade marks O
c to indicate the model OF the vic
J, Inf it is copy Of a Stradivar
q ius, Guarnerius or some other fam
: GUS make. Many Of these instru
ments, as in the incident alread,
described, are also frankly labele,
Made in Germany"
e While this form of labelling i
: we'll known to all persons acquain.
|. ed with the making of violins an,
d their history, it arouses many falls
/. hopes in the unenlightened. In on
o instance, family in a small Ne,
York town discovered an old vic
e lin in their attic. 1t was creak
with age and badly battered, bu
9 there was. great excitement whel