William Voller
London, 1854–1933
William Voller (1854-1933) was a prominent English violin maker, violist, and painter, recognized as the eldest and most active of the Voller Brothers. He gained early experience with F. Chanot and worked for G. Hart (II), producing highly skilled copies of Cremonese instruments. Voller also supplied instruments to dealers like George Duncan and firms such as Hamma and Wurlitzer. His work was characterized by its inconsistency, ranging from commercial pastiches to remarkably convincing imitations of master instruments, famously exemplified by the 'Balfour Strad' incident where a Voller creation was mistaken for a genuine Stradivari.
Auction Price History
Highest auction price
14 results
| Type | Details | Auction house | Sold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin | 35.6 cm 19th C. Probably by | — | November 2011 | £10,526 |
| Violin | 36.0 cm 1900 c. Possibly by | — | November 2011 | £20,675 |
| Violin | 35.6 cm London 1900 c. | — | May 2011 | £12,382 |
| Violin | 35.1 cm London, 1900 c. after "Carlo Tononi" | — | March 2011 | £20,400 |
| Violin | 35.6 cm London, 1895 c. | — | October 2008 | £7,200 |
| Cello | 75.4 cm England , 1900 c. Probably by | — | October 2008 | £21,250 |
| Violin | 35.7 cm London, 1900 c. After Peter Guarneri | — | October 2007 | £18,500 |
| Violin | 35.2 cm 1890 c. | — | May 2007 | £10,945 |
| Violin | 35.6 cm London, 1899 | — | May 2006 | £10,116 |
| Violin | London, 1900 Probably by | — | February 2005 | £6,000 |
| Violin | 1894 labeled "Hart & Sons" | — | November 2001 | £8,050 |
| Violin | 1885 | — | December 1995 | £3,797 |
| Violin | 19-- | — | March 1994 | £6,670 |
| Violin | 19-- | — | June 1990 | £14,300 |
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Maker Overview
Life
William Voller (1854-1933) was born in London, UK, and was known as a violist, painter, and violin maker. He was the eldest of the Voller Brothers and appears to have been the most active violin-making member of the family. Around 1881, he gained experience with F. Chanot. William Voller worked for G. Hart (II) until 1899, producing faithful copies of Cremonese instruments that passed through the shop, all of which were labeled 'Hart & Son'. From approximately 1889, he also actively supplied generic copies of Italian work to a dealer named George Duncan. His work extended to producing instruments for the firms of Hamma in Stuttgart and Wurlitzer in New York. A notable incident involved the 'Balfour Strad', which was revealed to be the recent handiwork of the Voller Brothers only after it had been authenticated by various London and Paris experts and changed hands at auction in 1901 as a genuine Stradivari. William Voller's artistic talents also included several known watercolour paintings of the subjects of their copies, as well as a bronze sculpture of Alfredo Piatti with his cello.
Characteristics
- Workmanship
- The work of the Voller Brothers, including William, was highly inconsistent, ranging from very commercial-looking pastiches of minor Italian makers to almost perfect and convincing imitations of master instruments by Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, and Guadagnini.
- Materials
- They sometimes made use of genuine parts from old instruments. Some of their more persuasive imitations can be distinguished by the use of ebony for the purfling, though other materials were also employed, such as beech for their very convincing Gagliano copies.
- Labeling
- Most instruments featured facsimile labels, which were printed by the Vollers themselves. An example of such a label is: 'Replica of the 'Leduc' Joseph / Guarnerius del Gesù of 1743 / William & / Charles Voller London 1900 / The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. New York Voller Fratelli, Londra 189..'
- Some examples signed internally: ‘William & Charles Voller
London’. Most instruments with facsimile labels, printed by the Vollers themselves. Replica of the ‘Leduc’ Joseph
Guarnerius del Gesù of 1743
William &
Charles Voller London 1900
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. New York Voller Fratelli, Londra 189John Dilworth
Influence and legacy
- Training: William Voller gained some experience with F. Chanot around 1881.
- Employment: He worked for G. Hart (II) up to 1899, where he made copies of Cremonese instruments.
- Notoriety: The 'Balfour Strad' incident in 1901, where a Voller creation was authenticated as a genuine Stradivari by experts, stands as a notorious example of their skill in imitation.
- Signatures: Some examples of their instruments are signed internally with 'William & Charles Voller / London'.
Biographies
The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:
John Dilworth+
VOLLER, William Born 1854, died 1933 London UK. Violist, painter, and violin maker. Eldest of the Voller Brothers. Apparently the most active violin making member of the family and seems to have gained some experience with F. Chanot c.1881. Worked for G. Hart (II) up to 1899 making faithful copies of Cremonese instruments handled by the shop, all of which were labelled ‘Hart & Son’. From c.1889 also actively supplied generic copies of Italian work to a dealer named George Duncan. Produced instruments for the firms of Hamma in Stuttgart and Wurlitzer in New York. The work of the brothers is very inconsistent, ranging from very commercial looking pastiches of minor Italian makers sometimes making use of genuine parts from old instruments, to almost perfect and convincing imitations of Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, and Guadagnini. Some of the latter class may be distinguished by the use of ebony for the purfling, but other materials are used, especially in the very persuasive Gagliano copies which have appropriate purflings of beech. The most notorious example is the ‘Balfour Strad’, which was revealed to be their recent handiwork only after it had changed hands at auction in 1901 as a genuine Stradivari, authenticated by various London and Paris experts. Several watercolour paintings of the subjects of their copies by William Voller are known, as is a bronze sculpture of Alfredo Piatti with his cello. Some examples signed internally: ‘William & Charles Voller / London’. Most instruments with facsimile labels, printed by the Vollers themselves. Replica of the ‘Leduc’ Joseph / Guarnerius del Gesù of 1743 / William & / Charles Voller London 1900 / The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. New York Voller Fratelli, Londra 189.. [Dilworth/Fairfax/Milnes]
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