GEORGE GEMÜNDER'S[1]
PROGRESS IN
VIOLIN MAKING,
WITH
INTERESTING FACTS
CONCERNING THE ART
AND ITS CRITICS IN GENERAL.
By GEORGE GEMÜNDER.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR:
ASTORIA, N. Y.,
1881.
Entered According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1881.
GEORGE GEMÜNDER,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress.
BIOGRAPHY[3]
OF
GEORGE GEMÜNDER.
George Gemünder was born at Ingelfingen, in the kingdom of Wurtemburg,on the 13th of April, 1816.
His father was a maker of bow instruments, and it was, therefore, fromGemünder's earliest youth that he devoted himself to the same art andthe studies connected with it.
When he left school, it was suggested to his father that George shouldbecome a school-master, as he at the time wrote the finest hand andexecuted the best designs of any among his classmates. His father wasnot averse[4] to this proposal and decided to carry it out. George was,accordingly, directed to prepare for the seminary. The plan was not,however, in accordance with his own tastes or inclinations, and hefollowed it for a period of but three weeks, only to abandon it finallyand forever, to take up that employment which accorded with his naturalgift and gave scope for the development of his genius.
After his father's death, which occurred when George was in hisnineteenth year, he went abroad, and worked variously at Pesth,Presburg, Vienna and Munich. Fortune smiled upon him, and more than oncean opportunity was presented of establishing a business; but nothingthat promised simply commonplace results and a commonplace life couldattract his eye, since his mind, aspiring to improvement in his art, wasconstantly impelling him toward that celebrated manufacturer of violins,Vuillaume, at Paris. He plainly saw that in Germany he could not reachin the art that degree of accomplishment for which he strove, and,therefore, he resolved to find, if possible, at Strasburg, such aposition as he had had at Munich. Through the mediation of a friend heobtained a call to go to a manufacturer of musical[5] instruments atStrasburg; but upon his arrival he was astonished to learn that the manwas a maker of brass instruments! Here was a dilemma. Disappointed inhis effort to find employment, winter at the door and far away fromhome, what could he do? The manufacturer, whose name was Roth,perceiving his perturbation, was kind enough to ask Gemünder to remainin his house until he should have succeeded in finding such a positionas he desired. Gemünder accepted the profered kindness, and after thelapse of six weeks he formed the acquaintance of a gentleman with whomhe afterward became intimate, and who promised to write for Gemünder aletter of recommendation and send it to Vuillaume at Paris. MeanwhileGemünder remained in Strasburg. One day, while taking a walk in the parkcalled "Die Englishen Anlagen," he seated himself on a bench and shortlyfell aslee