Joseph Bohmann

Biographies

John Dilworth Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

John Dilworth

BOHMANN, Joseph Born 1848 Utery (Neumarkt) Czech Republic, Worked circa. 1873-1926 Chicago, Illinois USA. Emigrated to USA, 1873. Established a large workshop in Chicago, 1878, under the name ‘American Musical Industry’. Awarded medals at Paris 1889, Chicago 1893, Antwerp 1894, Atlanta 1895, and Omaha 1898. In 1888 issued a spurious challenge through the press that he could produce finer stringed instruments than any other, after which he added the words ‘World’s Greatest Musical Instrument Maker’ to his labels. Assisted in the management of the business by his son Joseph Frederick from 1926. Made good copies of classical makers in appropriate varnish colours, at various price grades; violins, violas, cellos, double basses and plucked instruments. He himself owned a Maggini violin which he copied several times, and also had a personal model of his own devising. Also made bows, including his own ‘Staccato’ model with large thumb aperture in the frog. Instruments bear an engraved print of Bohmann within. Joseph Bohmann / The World’s Greatest/ Musical Instrument Maker / 276 W. Madison Street / Chicago