Thomas (I) Dodd

DODD, Thomas (I) Born 1764, died 1834 London UK. Bow maker. Son of Edward Dodd (I), above. Said to have apprenticed first in a brewery, but active as a bow maker from 1784 with an address in Blue Bell Alley, Southwark. By 1794 he was working from 11 New Street, Covent Garden, premises previously established as a music shop by William Campbell. Here Dodd’s business expanded to violin making and dealing. In 1798 he employed B. S. Fendt and J. F. Lott, and in 1809 moved to a larger building at 92 St Martin’s Lane, at which point Fendt left to work for Betts. In 1813 he acquired further property at 3 Berners Street, which became his sole business address in 1825. By this time he had expanded into harp and piano dealing (the newly developed pedal harp being extremely fashionable) and Dodd provided his own innovations to the mechanism. In 1838 the name of the business was changed to ‘Dodd & Son’, but quickly declined. Dodd’s output is wide and varied. Undoubtedly a craftsman himself, he was more of an entrepreneur in his later career, selling the work of the fine craftsmen in his employ, notable particularly for the very fine cellos and basses which compare with and even exceed the best French work of the period. Small violas made under his name are also very desirable He sold bows made by his own family and those of James Tubbs. He traded extensively in Italian instruments, some of which were tampered with: altered and combined to produce more profitable sales. He advertised a ‘Cremona Oil Varnish’ on his instruments, which included copies of Stradivari, Amati, and Stainer, recognisable for the fine, if rather thin, textured orange varnish. T.Dodd / Violin, Violoncello / & Bow Maker / New Street / Covent Garden. Dodd, Maker / 92 St. Martin’s Lane. / Perfect copies of Stradivarius, / Amati, Stainer, &c.

Son of Thomas Dodd, musical instrument dealer, of St. Martin’s Lane. The father, although not a maker of Violins, possessed excellent judgment, both as regards work and makers, which enabled his son to profit considerably during his early years whilst working with Fendt and Lott.

He was the son of Edward Dodd of Sheffield, previously noticed. He did not make many instruments himself, but he employed very clever workmen to do so for him. He was first of all a bow-maker in Blue Bell Alley, Mint Street, Southwark, and in 1798 he became a violin-maker and dealer, opening a shop in New Street, Covent Garden, and moving in 1809 to St. Martin’s Lane, Charing Cross. Later on he added another sail to his craft, and became a harp and pianoforte maker. The instruments which bear his label are mostly the work of John Lott and Bernard Fendt, two excellent workmen. Dodd’s genius, however, brooded over them whilst fashioning these magnificent instruments, like a mighty spirit brooding over the formless void. He was an enthusiastic connoisseur, with a heart and mind steeped in Italian lore, and he brought his knowledge to bear upon the work at every turn. It is impossible to say how much of the work beyond the varnishing was his own — probably no more than the determining of the thicknesses. With two such clever men to carry out his instructions, there was no occasion for him to handle the gouge and chisel. When the instruments were ready ” in the white,” Dodd overhauled them carefully and then varnished them with his own hands. His varnish is excellent — quite equal to that of Benjamin Banks — and he applied it most skilfully. It ranges in colour from golden amber to deep golden red, and it is rich and transparent. He regarded it as a secret, and was very careful to let no one see him mix or apply it. The ingredients, however, were only the well-known principal gums of the day, mixed in better proportions and more correctly than was customary then. Indeed, most of the varnishes of the early part of last century were hard, inelastic spirit varnishes, and Dodd’s oil mixture showed to great advantage by contrast with them. Instruments bearing Dodd’s label are of various models : Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, Stainer, &c., and are of uniform excellence as regards workmanship and tone. I tried one of them quite recently, which was on the grand Strad pattern, with a beautiful scroll, but with sound-holes which were a sort of compromise between those of Strad and Joseph, The back was cut on the slab, and the maple had a broad ” flame,” which seemed to curl and burn up the varnish with every movement, as if fanned by a breeze inside the instrument. The tone was not so large as one would naturally expect from the dimensions of the violin, but it was firm, free, and mellow.

Dodd has been severely criticised by some writers respecting his rather exuberant confidence in his varnish. But what maker is there that has not overweening confidence in his own varnish ? I have not yet come across one maker, be he a first- or fifth-rate, who does not think his varnish the best. Dodd had the courage of his convictions, and that is about all that he is guilty of. Hart says that Dodd gained such reputation in his lifetime that he was able to command from £40 to £50 for a violoncello. This is remarkable, and the more so when we consider that they do not fetch much more in our own times. Dodd ‘cellos have been knocked down at public auction for £32, £34 10s., and £35 as recently as 1897. His violins, when in fine condition, realise proportionately high prices. Labels : —

(I) T. DODD, VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO. AND BOW MAKER, NEW STREET, COVENT GARDEN

(2) DODD, MAKER, 92, ST. MARTIN’S LANE

Perfect copies of Stradivari, Amati, Stainer, &c. Note, — The only possessor of the recipe for preparing the original Cremona oil varnish.

Third son of Edward Dodd. Was first a brewer, then a violin bow maker in the Blue Bell Alley, Mint Street, Southwark (1786-89); and, about 1798, became a dealer in and maker of violins in New Street, Covent Garden, moving to St. Martin’s Lane, Charing Cross (1809); and finally became a harp and piano maker in Berners Street.
Very good violins were made in his workshop; but although they were labelled ” T Dodd, violin, violoncello, and bow maker. New Street, Covent Garden,” they were almost without exception the work of Bernhard Fendt and John Lott, two extremely clever workmen, who were for a long time in his employ.
Dodd himself had a thorough knowledge of Italian instruments, and showed great skill in his varnish, the secret of which he always kept, for he would take the unvarnished instruments—” in the white” to use the technical term — and varnish them himself unaided. His label especially alludes to this varnish : ” Dodd, maker, 92, St Martin’s Lane. Perfect copies of Stradiuarius, Amati, Stainer, &c. Note.—The only possessor of the recipe for preparing the original Cremona oil varnish Instruments improved and repaired.” His violoncellos are worth £40 to £50.

Dritter Sohn von Edw. D. War zuerst Brauer, dann 1786—1789 Bogenmacher,
von 1798 Geigenmacher und -Händler und zuletzt noch Harfen- und
Klavierbauer. Seinen Ruhm als Geigenmacher verdankt er hauptsächlich seinen
Gehilfen Bernhard Fendt und John Lott; er verstand sich aber ausserordentlich
gut auf das Lackiren, das er als sein Geheimniss behandelte. Er war ausserdem
ein gewiegter Kenner italienischer Instrumente. Seine Geigen und Violoncelli
werden schon jetzt mit 1000 M. bezahlt.