Cobbett, W. W. COBBETT’S CYCLOPEDIC SURVEY OF CHAMBER MUSIC. Oxford University Press, 1929 and 1963.
Volume I: xvi, 585 pp., musical examples. (free-endpaper page sprung, a letter of presentation taped onto front endpaper, and the presenters of the gift have signed on the first free-endpaper) Volume II: 641 pp., musical examples. (free-endpaper page sprung) Volume III: viii, 211 pp., musical examples. (sl. wear to d.j., 1963 2nd edition, but 1st printing of this volume) An invaluable reference source that lists, among other things, the members of a number of string quartets. A very nice set indeed. Scarce. $175.00 (reduced from $250.00)

Coutagne, Henry. GASPARD DUIFFOPROUCART et les Luthiers Lyonnais du XVIe Siecle. Paris: Fischbacher, 1893. In French.
79 pp., frontispiece. (7 x 11 inches, covers a bit worn and stained, edges of pages untrimmed) Regazzi calls this “a most valuable contribution to early violin history.” Very scarce! $650.00 (reduced from $850.00)

(Cremona) L'ESPOSIZIONE DI LIUTERIA ANTICA A CREMONA NEL 1937. Cremona, 1938.
257 pp., xxvii, 120 plates showing 3 views of each instrument. In Italian, French and German. (original stiff paper covers bound in a newer cloth and boards cover, fine condition) The instruments illustrated in this wonderful catalog include violins of Andrea, Antonio & Gerolamo, and Nicolo Amati, Rogeri, Ruggeri, Andrea, Peter of Venice, Peter of Mantua and Joseph Filius Andreas Guarneri, Joseph Guarneri del Gesu, Bergonzi, Stradivari (30 examples!), Gagliano, Guadagnini, Storioni, Cerutti, etc, etc., and cellos of Rogeri, Ruggeri, Peter Guarneri of Venice, Stradivari, Gagliano and Balestreri. A copy brought about $2100 at the Phillips auction of March, 1995. No. 257 of the edition limited to 500 copies. Extremely scarce. $1750.00 (reduced from $2500.00)

De Wit, Paul. GEIGENZETTEL ALTER MEISTER vom 16. bis zur mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Leipzig, 1902.
14 pp., 400 facsimiles of labels. (8 x 11 inches, boards, covers and spine frayed) The scarcest edition. $225.00 (reduced from $300.00)

Doring, Ernest N. HOW MANY STRADS? Our Heritage from the Master. Chicago, 1945.
379 pp., more than 100 instruments illustrated. (sl. wear, several pages sl. spotted, very good to near fine, slipcase worn and taped) No. 496 of the edition limited to 1400. A copy brought £1540, about $3000 at the Christieπs auction of November, 1991! Just like there is nothing like an original Strad violin, there is nothing like an original copy of this important book. $575.00 (reduced from $800.00)

Doring, Ernest N. HOW MANY STRADS? Our Heritage from the Master. Chicago, 1945. The Deluxe Edition.
379 pp., more than 100 instruments illustrated. (spine is a bit worn and cracked, edge sl. rubbed, otherwise in near-fine condition) This book is one of the scarcest of all violin books, limited to only 50 copies. Sold for $7000 at the Sotheby's auction in June, 1995! $2000.00 (reduced from $4000.00)

Doring, Ernest N. THE GUADAGNINI FAMILY OF VIOLIN MAKERS. A Treatise Presenting Conclusions Concerning the Origin and Lives of this Famous Family Derived from Lifelong Study of their Works and Diligent Research Among Relevant Data from Early to Recent Times. Chicago: William Lewis & Son, 1949. The Deluxe Edition.
335 pp., 66 pp. of plates. (6 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches, full leather, all edges gilt, a very slight indentation in the middle of the first 20 to 30 pages, probably from the book press, since all copies have a variation of the same problem, o/w fine to very fine condition, in a slipcase) No. 30 of the edition limited to 50. A copy brought $3800 at the Skinner auction of May, 1996. Extremely scarce. $2750.00 (reduced from $4000.00

Doring, Ernest N. VIOLINS AND VIOLINISTS. Chicago: William Lewis & Son, 1949-1956. Volumes 10–17.
54 issues (7 complete years, plus 5 issues from volume 17), nos. 90-143. (issues in general very good to near-fine condition, a number of issues have 3 ring punch holes at margin, not affecting) Includes 100s of interesting articles about all facets of violin making and playing. A wonderful reference source. $400.00 (reduced from $700.00)

Ehrlich, A. DAS STREICH QUARTETT IN WORT UND BILD. Leipzig, 1898. In German.
vii, 83 pp., numerous illustrations. (10 1/4 x 8 1/8 inches, some rubbing to covers and spine, several pages reattached) An absolutely wonderful book that includes photos and biographical information on over 40 quartets, including the Florentiner, Petri, Lewinger, Brodski, Berber, Hellmesberger, Rosé, Prill, Fitzner, Soldat-Roeger, Duesberg, Joachim (Berlin), Joachim (London), Londoner, Dresdener, Suttgart, Halir, Hamburger, Riller, Bohmische, Budapest, Petersburger, Bologneser, Triester, Kneisel and Romische quartets. Extremely scarce. $650.00 (reduced from $850.00)

FAMOUS INSTRUMENTS OF THE WORLD SERIES. Tokyo: Gakken, 1986.
Three volumes, 10 x 14 1/4 inches, gilt-stamped titles, each volume in a slip-case with similar gilt-stamped titles.
Collection in the Library of Congress: 80 pp. of photographs in color, 48 pp. of explanatory text and illustrations. 8 instruments illustrated.
Collection in the Smithsonian Institution: 132 pp. of photographs in color, 32 pp. of explanatory text and illustrations, 15 instruments illustrated.
Collection in the Corcoran Gallery of Art: 88 pp. of photographs in color, 32 pp. of explanatory text and illustrations, 8 instruments illustrated.
Beautiful full-page photographs by Shinichi Yokoyama, who did the photographs for the book Stradivari in Japan. In English and Japanese. A beautiful set of books. $1800.00 (reduced from $2200.00)

Farga, Franz. VIOLINS & VIOLINISTS. With a chapter on English Violin Makers, by E. W. Lavender. London: Rockliff, 1951. THE DELUXE EDITION.
xvi, 223 pp., frontispiece, 80 illustrations, 10 line drawings. (full-calf binding, top edge gilt, edges of covers and spine rubbed, covers and spine a bit worn) No. 12 of the edition limited to 200 copies. $250.00 (reduced from $350.00)

Friedrich & Bro., John. COLLECTION OF OF RARE OLD VIOLIN CATALOGUES. Compiled and Bound by Ernest Doring. New York, 1919-1926.
Ernest Doring bound the Friedrich catalogs in a unique way, in some cases separating the photos from the text, so all the photos can be seen together. He has marked the catalogs for identification. Those included in this fascinating collection are: Photos: September, 1919; October, 1919; September, 1920; April 15, 1921; May, 1922; Text: January, 1919; October, 1919; September, 1920; April, 1921 Supplemental LIst; May, 1922, Supplemental List; August 1, 1922. From here, the catalogs were published with the ttext and illustrations integrated: August 1, 1923; August 1, 1924; August 1, 1925; January 1, 1926; April, 1926 Supplemental List; October 1, 1926. Thirteen catalogs in all. (some pages are worn or creased, paper clip marks, a little writing, 3-punch holes throughout as originally published, binding is a bit worn and frayed) An interesting document in the life of Ernest Doring. The 13 catalog would sell for considerably more individually. Unique. $700.00 (reduced from $1000.00)

Grillet, Laurent. ANCETRES DU VIOLON ET DU VIOLONCELLE. Les Luthiers et les Fabricants d'Archets. Paris, 1901. In French.
Volume I: xxvii, 290 pp., numerous illustrations and musical examples. Volume II: 409 pp., numerous illustrations of instruments and labels. (bound in 3/4 leather and marbled boards, covers sl. worn and rubbed, contents a bit worn) A fascinating, beautiful, and very scarce book tracing the history of the violin. A copy brought £440, about $800 at the Christie's auction of March, 1989. A very nice copy. $550.00 (reduced from $750.00)

Hamma, Fridolin. MEISTERWERKE ITALIENISCHER GEIGENBAUKUNST. Ihre Beschreibung und Bisher Erzielte Preise. Stuttgart, n.d. (c. 1932) In German.
xiii, 347 pp., 212 plates of instruments, each with two views, 9 full-scale outlines. (general condition very good to near-fine, some minor wear, one of the perforated outlines is loose, in the original dust jacket, which is nearly unheard of, d.j. torn at spine, small pieces of tape on inside of covers had been used to hold the dust jacket in place) A beautiful and very rare book, with wonderful plates, the edition limited to 1200 copies, this one unnumbered. Never reprinted because the plates were destroyed during World War II. Instruments illustrated include violins of Amati, Balestrieri, Bergonzi, da Salo, Carcassi, Gagliano, Grancino, Gobetti, Goffriller, Guadagnini, all the Guarneris, Landolfi, Maggini, Stradivari (35 examples!), etc., etc. Very scarce. $1800.00 (reduced from $2400.00)

Hamma, Fridolin. DIE D'EGVILLE–DEL GESÜ. Stuttgart, 1961.
55 pp., 8 illustrations (one in color). (5 7/8 x 10 inches, covers a bit dirty) A beautiful monograph about this great violin. No. 351 of the edition limited to only 500 copies. A copy sold for £385, about $675 at the Christieπs auction of June, 1990. Very scarce. $450.00 (reduced from $750.00)

Hamma, Fridolin. GERMAN VIOLIN MAKERS. A Critical Dictionary of German Violin Makers, with a Series of Plates Illustrating Characteristic and Fine Examples of their Work. London: William Reeves, 1961.
xi, 49 pp. of text, 80 plates of instruments, each with 2 views of the instrument, plus the scroll and label. (no d.j., sl. wear, top of spine sl. buckled) Scarce! $300.00 (reduced from $450.00)

Hamma, Fridolin. GERMAN VIOLIN MAKERS. A Critical Dictionary of German Violin Makers, with a Series of Plates Illustrating Characteristic and Fine Examples of their Work. London: William Reeves, 1961. The Deluxe Edition.
xi, 49 pp. of text, 80 plates of instruments, each with 2 views of the instrument, plus the scroll and label. (top edge gilt, bound in 3/4 leather and blue cloth, very sl. wear to covers, in general, contents fine to very fine) No. 8 of the edition limited to 100 copies. Very scarce. $1500.00 (reduced from $2000.00)

Hart & Son. THE EMPEROR STRADIVARI. DATE 1715. A History and Description of the Famous Violin in the Possession of George Haddock, Esq., Newlay Hall, Leeds. Illustrated with Three Views. London: Hart & Son, 1893.
20 pp., 3 tipped-in photographs (thick parchment, endpapers fragile and a bit chipped, covers warped, pages sl. separating) Extremely scarce! $400.00 (reduced from $650.00)

Herrmann, Emil. HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF TWO MASTERPIECES BY ANTONIUS STRADIVARIUS Known as the “King Maximilian” from the Year 1709 and the “Prinz Khevenhüller” from the Year 1733. In the Possession of Emil Herrmann. Privately printed in Berlin and New York, n.d. (1929?)
33 pp, 6 color plates of views of the two instruments, plus 4 other illustrations, including one label. (the leather edges and spine a bit rubbed, top edge of pages have sl. crease, o/w contents near fine to fine) A very rare monograph of these two spectacular violins, no. 107 of the English edition limited to 200 copies. Sold in London in 1991 for $1000. $500.00 (reduced from $750.00)

Hjorth, Arne. DANISH VIOLINS AND THEIR MAKERS. Copenhagen: Emil Hjorth & Sønner, 1963.
8 pp. of text, 40 plates of instruments and labels. Bound in full leather. (some wear to covers and edges) Edition limited to 500 copies. A wonderful monograph on past and contemporary Danish violin makers. Scarce! $400.00 (reduced from $600.00

Jacquot, Albert. LA LUTHERIE LORRAINE ET FRANCAISE. Paris, 1912.
xxxix, 357 pp., 24 portraits, 521 facsimeles of labels, 64 illustrations in text, 40 illustrations. (3/4 leather and marbled boards, rebacked, original marbled endpapers) Edition limited to 500 copies. Regazzi says, “A very important text written by a violin maker who spent much of his time researching the history of the French luthiers. This book contains 521 label-facsimiles unpublished before.” A spectacular and very scarce book. $1950.00 (reduced from $2500.00)

Jalovec, Karel. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF VIOLIN MAKERS. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1968.
Two Volumes. Volume I: A-K, 482 pp., 110 plates, 16 color plates. Volume II: L-Z, 399 pp., 86 plates, 8 color plates. (dust jackets worn and torn, contents near-fine, in a slipcase) $650.00 (reduced from $850.00)

Kaul, Paul. LA QUERELLE DES ANCIENS ET DES MODERNES. Lutherie Italienne ou Lutherie Française? Nantes, 1927.
221 pp. (7 1/8x 10 3/8 inches, paper covers, covers a bit worn and stained, spine a bit frayed) Very scarce. $350.00 (reduced from $550.00)

Lütgendorff, Willibald von. DIE GEIGEN UND LAUTENMACHER. Frankfurt am Main, 1913.
Volume I: xii, 407 pp., numerous illustrations of instruments and makers. Volume II: 973 pp., 100’s of illustrations and facsimiles of labels. In German. (leaether spine and corners, marbled boards, some rubbing and wear to covers) The most scarce of the editions. $350.00 (reduced from $500.00)

Music Loan Exhibition. AN ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF THE MUSIC LOAN EXHIBITION Held Under the Patronage of His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, and Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales by the Worshipful Company of Musicians at Fishmongers’ Hall June and July, 1904. London, 1909.
353 pp., frontispiece, 26 plates. (bound in cloth, some pages worn, stained and foxed, edges of pages stained, contents in general very good to near-fine) Edition limited to 500 copies. A copy brought £572, about $1100 at Sotheby's auction of November, 1988. Scarce. $300.00 (reduced from $500.00)

Poidras, Henri. CRITICAL & DOCUMENTARY DICTIONARY OF VIOLIN MAKERS. Old and Modern. Two volumes. Rouen, 1928 and 1930. In English.
Volume I: xiii, 290 pp., frontispiece, portrait, 34 plates of instruments, 544 facsimiles and wordings of labels. Volume II: xvi, 296 pp., 50 plates of instruments, 984 facsimiles and wordings of labels. (bound in blue cloth, foxing) Includes chapters on the Italian, French, English, and German violin making schools. $200.00 (reduced from $450.00)

Pougin, Arthur. LE VIOLON. Les Violonistes et la Musique de Violon du XVIe au XVIIIe siècle. Paris: Librairie Fischbacher, 1924.
358 pp., 20 plates, 36 illustrations, musical examples. In French. (7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, beautifuly bound in leather and marbled boards, with marbled endpapers, covers a bit worn and rubbed, front cover sl. cracked, top edge of pages sl. creased) Includes wonderful plates of Corelli, Tartini, Locatelli, Viotti, Le Clair, Guignon and others. Very Scarce. $350.00 (reduced from $550.00)

(Retford, William C.) Ealing Strings. THE RETFORD CENTENARY EXHIBITION. London, 1975. THE DELUXE EDITION.
63 pp., 100 plates of bows with two views off each bow, frontispiece, 18 other plates, full-leather and gilt illustrated covers, all edges gilt. (front cover and spine sl. rubbed and flaked, in a slipcase) No. 123 of the edition limited to 200 copies. A copy brought £374, about $650 at the Christie’s auction of March, 1989. Very scarce. $350.00 (reduced from $500.00)

Roda, Joseph. BOWS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE VIOLIN FAMILY. Chicago: William Lewis and Son, 1959. The Deluxe Edition.
335 pp., 20 illustrations, 47 double plates illustrating 241 bows. Includes a biographical list of bow makers. (full leather binding, gilt titles and decoration on covers and spine, top edges gilt, in a slipcase, fine to very fine condition) No. 156 of the edition limited to 200 copies. Extremely scarce. $1750.00 (reduced from $2500.00)

Salabue, Cozio Di. CARTEGGIO. Trascrizione Di Renzo Bacchetta. Autorizzata Dal Museo Civico Di Cremona. Milan, 1950. In Italian.
xxxiv, 515 pp, frontispiece, 9 plates, 28 illustrations. (sl. minor wear) A copy brought $450 at the Sotheby’s auction of November, 1989. Scarce. $300.00 (reduced from $400.00) Sold!

(Salabue) Sacchi, Federico. COUNT COZIO DI SALABUE. A Biographical Sketch of this Celebrated Violin Collector. With an Appendix Containing His Unpublished Manuscript and Letters to Vincenzo Lancetti on the Cremonese School. London: Dulau & Co., 1898. The Deluxe Large Paper Edition.
47 pp., frontispiece portrait of Salabue. (front covers a bit marked and stained, a few pages stained, frontispiece page has some foxing, not affecting the portrati) No. 58 of an edition limited to 100 copies. Extremely scarce. $450.00 (reduced from $600.00)

(Stradivari) (Mostra) MOSTRA DI ANTONIO STRADIVARI. Settimane Musicali di Stressa. Isola Bella, 1963.
71 pp., 47 instruments illustrated on full-page plates. In Italian and English. (8 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches, minor wear to covers, corners bumped and sl. rubbed) A copy brought £552, about $850 at the Sotheby’s auction of June, 1996. No. 96 of the edition limited to 1000 copies. $300.00 (reduced from $450.00)

Strad Magazine. STRAD MAGAZINE. London. 1965-2003.
439 issues, missing only 28 issues, 1966 and 1968 are complete, then 30 additional complete years, 1971-1992, and 1994-2001. Nine years are in the red Strad binders, which have some wear and cracking. A very good collection. $1250.00 (reduced from $2500.00)

Strings Magazine. California, 1989-2001.
85 issues: 1989-9/2001, missing only one issue, July/Aug, 1998, plus the 1994 and 1995 Resource Guide. Back issues now sell directly from the publisher for $7.50 each, so this is a bargain. $125.00 (reduced from $250.00)