William George Geary is a truly interesting character in the English violin making of the early 20th century. As a talented luthier who came to the craft from a different background, he ultimately made a name for himself in a field heavily defined by the lines of family dynasties and strong links between teachers and students. Even as a child, William Geary had a great...
William George Geary is a truly interesting character in the English violin making of the early 20th century. As a talented luthier who came to the craft from a different background, he ultimately made a name for himself in a field heavily defined by the lines of family dynasties and strong links between teachers and students. Even as a child, William Geary had a great affinity for precision tools as well as for violins, even though he originally trained to work as a lithographer. It was not until later in life that he found a way to study violin making under the instruction of W. B. Prince in Tooting. His works were highly respected by outstanding musicians of his day, and like his other pieces, this violin, which was made in 1930, also reflects his craftsmanship and good musical properties. William G. Geary used moderately-grained spruce for the top and closely flamed maple for the two-piece back — valuable sound woods he varnished with a rich orange-golden oil. The elegant scroll is an excellent demonstration of W. G. Geary's abilities, and the violin's provenance is confirmed by the original hand-written and dated label. We are offering this remarkable instrument in very good crack-free condition; it has charming light crackling that is becoming on a violin of this age. Its very responsive sound unfolds with brightness and warmth, open and clear with a dark undertone.
