A French Violin By Hughes Emile Blondelet, 1921.

Hughes Emile Blondelet (1875-1928) began working for Jerome Thibouville Lamy at the age of 15 in 1890 and became Co-Director of the workshop with Acoulon in 1908. Their joint label was routinely placed in higher-end productions and remained in use long after their tenure of leadership. Particularly, for the “Sarasate-Artiste” line, which saw success through the 1940’s. Blondilet was highly regarded for his workmanship, awarded the title, “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour” in 1923. Typically, violins after Amati and Stradivari, with the latter generating higher desirability; deep red oil varnish, with the scroll’s chamfers often blackened. Henley comments, “Tonal quality of considerable sonority and reasonable homogeneity.” This highly characteristic example of Blondilet’s production at JTL is dated 1921 and numbered 268. Fire branded to the back below the button and also internally. The back, match-booked maple of pronounced, descending flame, with the ribs and headstock matching in their more irregular flame; well selected spruce for the top - gracefully fluted f-holes and cleanly executed purfling from which the arching gracefully tapers.

There are but a few firms who one might claim have contributed to and shaped our industry as much as that of JTL, a powerhouse of craftsmanship operating from 1857-1968, which produced as many as 150,000 instruments, bows, and other products yearly at its height and employed over 1000 craftsmen. Their extensive catalogue and collections serviced every niche of the classical music industry, ranging from commercial instruments a child might start their musical journey on to definitive works still honored and sought after today by performers and collectors alike, as well as everything you could imagine in between.