William Atkinson

ATKINSON, William Born 1851 Stepney, London, died 1929 Paglesham, Essex UK. Worked as a seaman until c.1869, when he made his first instrument during an apprenticeship as a joiner. Professional violin maker in Tottenham, north London, working from a general supply shop on Church Road. Moved to Paglesham, Essex in 1911. Prolific maker on Stradivari- or Amati-derived models. Fine craftsmanship and good oil varnish, if a little stiff in execution and design; certainly amongst the best makers of this period in England. His oil varnish was his own concoction, soft and slow drying, developing colour without added pigmentation. In some cases this has worn or crazed excessively. It is frequently reported that he destroyed work that he considered unsatisfactory, particularly at the end of his life when early examples failed to match his later standards. He was able to do this at least in part because he always maintained other employments throughout his life and was never entirely dependent on his income from violin making. Branded beneath the button. William Atkinson in / Tottenham 1893 William Atkinson / in Paglesham 1924

eröffnete 1881 in Tottenhamm seine Werkstatt und baut nach eigenen Modellen Geigen, die er mit Bernsteinlack überzieht. Seine Arbeit ist sorgfältig, der Ton gut. Er erhielt in Paris 1889 und in Edinburg 1890 Medaillen.

He was born at Stepney, on October 23, 1851, and is the son of James and Hannah Atkinson. He works at Holt House, High Road, Tottenham, and is one of the best makers of modern times. His full name is William Thomas Reed Atkinson, but he always signs his name simply ” William Atkinson.” He was educated at Lukeing’s Grammar School, Mile End Road, Stepney. At the age of fourteen he re- moved with his parents to Liverpool, where he had to serve behind the bar for some time at his uncle’s public-house, the “Shrewsbury Arms,” Oxton, near Birkenhead. This was much against the boy’s inclination, but necessity knows no choice.

After that he served as second steward on board several steamships belonging to Messrs. Bibby, such as the Italian the Arabian &c., — the captain, a Mr. Urquhart, taking him with him from one vessel to the other.

During his seafaring career his parents removed back to London, and when he had got tired of ” ploughing the blue ” he joined them there, and apprenticed himself to a Mr. Hume, a joiner. He was married on October 6, 1880, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Camper, at Bromley-by-Bow Church. He has two sons, viz., William Camper, and John Benjamin Camper.

His first instrument dates back to 1869, and was made whilst serving his time as a joiner. Since he has taken up the gouge as a professional violin-maker, he has made 130 violins, numbered consecutively, and many more unnumbered. The majority of the latter he has destroyed, because they did not come up to his standard of excellence. He works on two original models. The measurements of model No. 1 are as follows : —

Length of body … 13 15/16ins,Width across upper bouts … 6 5/8ins,Width across middle bouts … 4 3/8ins,Width across lower bouts … 8 3/16ins,Depth of ribs at bottom … 1 1/4ins,Depth of ribs at top … 1 3/32ins,Length of sound-holes … 3 1/32ins,Distance between sound-holes at top … 1 19/32ins,Elevation from ½ inch to … 5/8ins,

The measurements of model No. 2 are the same, except that at the top, middle, and bottom bouts, it is 3/32 inches narrower.

Mr. Atkinson’s wood is excellent. The figure of his maple is, as a rule, of medium width. His pine, which is from Berne, is simply perfect, having a ” reed ” rather under medium width, perfectly straight and well-defined. His outline is in the best Italian style. It is gracefulness incarnate. A very strong expression, but a true one. As the form of the gazelle is to that of the ordinary antelope, so is the outline of Atkinson to that of the ordinary fiddle. The scroll is a masterly conception and of Pheidian beauty.

The following measurements carefully taken will give a correct idea of its proportions : —

Length from scollop to apex of volute … 4 1/4 ins. Width from boss-edge to boss-edge … 1 3/4insWidth of volute close to scollop … 1ins,Width of volute at apex … 1/2ins,Depth of peg-box close to scollop 1ins,Depth of peg-box at throat … 5/8ins, Width of peg- box inside … 5/8ins, Diminishing to … 1/2ins, Depth of first curl of volute … 1/2ins, Depth of second curl of volute … 3/10ins,Thickness of sides of peg-box … 1/5ins,

The first turn parts suddenly from the boss, as in the best examples of Stradivari. The edges are softened down gently, with black lines to emphasise the extreme outline.

The button is nearly semicircular, with toned-down edge, and is in perfect keeping with the contour. The margin is one-fifth wide. The edges are strong and rounded ; but the “rounding” is not over-pronounced. The elevation of the edge above the purfle-bed is almost imperceptible. The margin and edges present a delicately refined appearance. In fact, everything about the Atkinson violins betokens aristocratic refinement. The purfling is one-sixteenth wide, the inner strip having a width which is slightly greater than that of the outer ones combined.

The varnish is beautiful, ranging in colour from pale straw to light ruby, and of the most delicate tints. On a specimen recently seen by me, and which had been examined and most flatteringly commented upon by the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the varnish was straw-coloured and of the richest and tenderest hue. It is perfectly transparent and elastic, and soft as velvet to the touch. It is laid on in very thin coats and dried in the open air. Sometimes as many as twenty coats are given, but the final thickness of varnish is scarcely more than one-sixty-fourth of an inch.

Mr. Atkinson’s tone is quite remarkable. It is not exactly like the tone of any other maker, classical or post-classical, that I am acquainted with. The size of the instrument would lead one to expect a tone of small volume, but such is not the case. The tone is strong without being loud, penetrating without being piercing. One need not go to Atkinson for mere loud- ness. His is a mellow tone with a silver ring. Its echo in a large hall is like the sound of an anvil struck at a distant smithy and borne by the breeze. It is the tone of the dulcimer magnified, clarified, beatified. It is a delicious tone! For this reason the Atkinson fiddles are pre-eminently solo instruments. For a similar reason it would not be wise to furnish the same orchestra with them throughout. That the gods rain honey on flowers is a kind provision ; if they did it on grass they would spoil the world.

Mr. Atkinson obtained a bronze medal at Paris, 1889, and a silver medal at Edinburgh, 1890. Since 1890, he has developed his ideas considerably, and has freed himself entirely from the trammels of the French school.

His price is fixed at a uniform figure, £15. He makes violins only, and all the work is personal.

As a man, the subject of this sketch is highly interesting. He is possessed of a persistent personality. He is unique without being eccentric. His whole character is cast into a mould, and the fiddle is the pivot of his life. He has no spare moments save for one thing — religion. He is busy, but not anxious ; modest, but not suspicious. He is consummately skilful as a mechanic — nothing proving too difficult for his gouge.

The label is varnished over with the same colour varnish as that used on the fiddle, to prevent the ink from fading or running. The maker’s monogram is also inlaid on the back under the button.