William Hamilton
Uddingstone, worked 1900
William Hamilton (1861-c.1900) was a Scottish amateur violin maker and consulting engineer, born in Anderston, Glasgow. He was known for his faultless workmanship and his copies of instruments by makers such as Gasparo da Salò, Stradivari, and Guarneri, often using Whitelaw's amber varnish.
Maker Overview
Life
William Hamilton (1861-c.1900) was born on May 5, 1861, in Anderston, Glasgow, and was by profession a consulting engineer. He received training in the use of wood-working tools during his time in a pattern shop in British Violin Makers. John Dilworth, in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, states that Hamilton worked circa 1900 in Uddingstone, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.
Characteristics
- Models
- William Hamilton made instruments based on models by Gasparo da Salò, Stradivari, and Guarneri, in addition to his own original model in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.
- Gasparo da Salò Copy
- William Meredith Morris described a copy of Gasparo da Salò by Hamilton as one of the finest examples of the copyist's art he had seen, noting its superb wood with a curl of medium width and mathematical regularity.
- Varnish
- Hamilton utilized an oil varnish of a golden orange colour for his Gasparo da Salò copy.
- Tone
- The Gasparo da Salò copy produced an exceedingly powerful, rich, and free tone.
- Original Model
- An instrument made on Hamilton's original model exaggerated the proportions of the Brescian model, with a length of 14 3/8in., an upper bout width of 6 7/8in., and a lower bout width of 8 5/8 in.
- Original Model Tone
- The tone of this original model was described as nasal and viola-like, lacking carrying power.
- Workmanship
- William Meredith Morris praised Hamilton's workmanship as faultless, with careful attention paid to the minutest detail.
- Varnish Type
- Both Willibald Leo Lütgendorff and John Dilworth note his use of commercially produced Whitelaw's amber varnish.
- William Hamilton
Uddingstone, 1896John Dilworth
Biographies
The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:
John Dilworth+
HAMILTON, William Worked circa. 1900 Uddingstone, Lanarkshire, Scotland UK. Trained as an engineer. Amateur violin maker. Stradivari model violins; Brescian model violas. Good workmanship using commercially produced Whitelaw’s amber varnish. Manuscript label: William Hamilton / Uddingstone, 1896
William Meredith Morris+
An amateur maker who has made some first-class instruments. He was born at Anderston, Glasgow, May 5, 1861, and is by profession a consulting engineer. He spent some time in a pattern shop, where he was trained in the use of wood-working tools.
A copy of Gasparo da Salo by him is one of the finest examples of the copyist’s art that I have seen — certainly it is the finest Gasparo copy that I have ever examined. The wood in the back of this instrument is superb ; the curl being of medium width and of mathematical regularity. The varnish is an oil one; colour, golden orange. The tone is exceedingly powerful, rich, and free.
Another instrument by him was on an original model, which rather exaggerated the proportions of the Brescian model, and was altogether too large, the length being 14 3/8in. ; width across upper bouts 6 7/8in., and across lower bouts 8 5/8 in. The tone was not correspondingly large ; on the other hand, it was of a nasal, viola-like quality, and did not carry. The workmanship is faultless, and careful attention is paid to the minutest detail. The maker should confine his attention to the Gasparo model, as he is evidently in sincere and deep sympathy with it, and shows a better hand at it than any maker does that I am acquainted with. He uses no label, but has written across the back his autograph, name of town, and date.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff+
Er stammt aus Glasgow und ist Ingenieur. Aus Liebhaberei macht er Geigen nach einem eigenen Modell, aber auch nach Stradivari, Guarneri und Caspar da Salò. Er gebraucht Whitelaw’s Bernsteinlack.
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