John Preston Violoncello
date: label: date made
content: 1750-1770
name: label: maker
content: Preston, John
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This violoncello was made by John Preston in London, about 1780. It is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two piece back of maple with even fine descending figure, ribs of similar maple, neck, pegbox and scroll of late replacement, and varnish of transparent brown color. There is a printed label inside the instrument:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Preston MAKER<br>No 97 Strand<br>L O N D O N</p>
label: Description
content: <p>John Preston began working in London around 1744 in Long Acre as a maker of violins and guitars. After 1776 he was established at the Strand, where he remained until his death in January of 1798. In 1789, his son Thomas entered the business and developed the firm as music publishers as well as violin makers and dealers. Preston and Son published music of many types including dance, operetta and popular song. In 1834 the firm passed to control of Coventry & Hollier and continue today under the name Novello & Company. It was probably the publishing interest that prevented John Preston from developing a strong reputation and output as a maker. His instruments might be considered today as good to fair in commercial quality. In this example with typically pointed arching and high ribs,1 the neck, pegbox and scroll are a later Bohemian or German replacement. The body bears an even single purfling.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Cellos
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Albert F. and Lorette M. Moglie
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1987.0472.05
label: catalog number
content: 1987.0472.05
label: accession number
content: 1987.0472
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cello
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: spruce (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: maple (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 48 in x 16 1/2 in x 9 3/4 in; 121.92 cm x 41.91 cm x 24.765 cm