Violin by
Charles John Wilkinson
London, c.1920
Charles John Wilkinson was born in London in 1889. Initially a violinist by profession, he suffered a serious injury during his service in World War I that inhibited his use of his left hand. Wilkinson turned his focus to violin making, studying under Thomas Jacques Holder and learning to use a special brace on his left arm to help in his work. He went on to work for George Withers before spending four decades carrying out restorations for and supplying copies of classical instruments to J. & A. Beare in London. His skill as a copyist was widely recognized, and his instruments were convincing.
Wilkinson did not label his instruments as his own, instead leaving them blank or inserting labels with fabricated Italian names. At a certain point, the Beare firm began placing correct labels in Wilkinson’s instruments, even after they had been sold, so as to minimize confusion and hopefully prevent less-than-scrupulous dealers from passing them off as real Italian work.
Wilkinson’s aim for this violin was likely to have it fit somewhere in the realm of 18th century Italian instruments without strictly copying any one particular maker. A model reminiscent of Giuseppe Guarneri “fililus Andrea” and a deep brown antiqued varnish give it the credible appearance of a much older violin. The sound is dark, beautiful and warm to match.
Violin by
Charles John Wilkinson
London, c.1920
Charles John Wilkinson was born in London in 1889. Initially a violinist by profession, he suffered a serious injury during his service in World War I that inhibited his use of his left hand. Wilkinson turned his focus to violin making, studying under Thomas Jacques Holder and learning to use a special brace on his left arm to help in his work. He went on to work for George Withers before spending four decades carrying out restorations for and supplying copies of classical instruments to J. & A. Beare in London. His skill as a copyist was widely recognized, and his instruments were convincing.
Wilkinson did not label his instruments as his own, instead leaving them blank or inserting labels with fabricated Italian names. At a certain point, the Beare firm began placing correct labels in Wilkinson’s instruments, even after they had been sold, so as to minimize confusion and hopefully prevent less-than-scrupulous dealers from passing them off as real Italian work.
Wilkinson’s aim for this violin was likely to have it fit somewhere in the realm of 18th century Italian instruments without strictly copying any one particular maker. A model reminiscent of Giuseppe Guarneri “fililus Andrea” and a deep brown antiqued varnish give it the credible appearance of a much older violin. The sound is dark, beautiful and warm to match.