A violin by A.E.Smith, 1928, Sydney, Australia

Price range: £50,000+

 

Arthur Edward Smith (1880-1978) can rightly be regarded as the most important Australian violin maker of the 20th Century.

He is a maker I am slightly obsessed with, being an Aussie myself!, and I have actually owned a good number of his instruments throught my playing life and violin dealing career.

For more information read my article in the Tarisio Cozio Carteggio…link below

https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/arthur-edward-smith/

 

This violin, made in 1928, is based on a Stradivari model. In good condition it has a fantastic history . The below is from the Daughter who I am selling the violin.

“She  (my mother) told me that it was acknowledged that there were 3 outstanding Smiths, of which one is hers, although I have no way of confirming this.  She knew Mr. Smith personally and he wanted her to have this particular violin which was owned by Lloyd Adams at the time and as she was only 13, was allowed to pay it off bit by bit each week until it was paid off completely.  She was awarded a scholarship to the Curtiss Institute in New York , leaving Australia at the end of WW2 and later studied at the Juliard Graduate School under Louis Persinger and always played on her Smith, often being asked what Strad she was playing. There is also a letter from A.E. Smith to Yehudi Menuhin introducing my mother to him. She went on to be a member of the ECO in the 1960s/early 70s, a founder member of the Gabrieli Quartet and then the BBC Symphony orchestra.”

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