BAILLY, Paul.—A well-known modern French maker, who worked in Mirecourt, Paris, and London. He was a pupil of J. B. Vuillaume, and died recently.
BAIRHOFF, Giorgio.—Naples; latter half eighteenth century. Like several other makers working in Naples he was of German origin. Has produced useful instruments of the Gagliano type.
BALDANTONI, Joseph.—Ancona; 1784-1873. Was a clever mechanic and an inventor in a small way; he has left a number of well-made instruments of good form and tone.
BALESTRIERI, Tommasso.—Mantua; appears to have worked until after 1770. His instruments have long been appreciated amongst players on account of their tone, which is usually of a rich sonorous quality. He was an unequal workman, some of his violins and basses exhibiting a high amount of finish, whilst others leave a good deal to be desired in this respect. On some specimens the varnish is of excellent quality, but there are others in which it is much inferior both in appearance and texture. He seems to have used a variety of labels, from which it appears that he was a native of Cremona. Spurious tickets are fairly plentiful. The form of his violins bears a rough general resemblance to some of those of Stradivari, but he is no longer accounted a pupil of that maker, as was formerly the case. He is said to have worked in Cremona until 1757, when he removed to Mantua. The writer has seen a considerable number of his instruments, but does not recall meeting with specimens dating from Cremona. Messrs. Hill, in their monograph on Stradivari, state that he was a pupil of Peter Guarneri (“Peter of Mantua”). Some of his violoncellos are exceptionally good. Another Balestrieri, named Peter, worked in Cremona, and in his tickets calls himself a pupil of Stradivari.
BANKS.—The name of a Salisbury family of makers, of whom the best was Benjamin, born 1727, died February, 1795. His work belongs to the school of Wamsley. Copied Amati with uncommon skill, and instruments have sometimes been re-labelled, and passed as the work of Niccolò. He used on his best productions a very fine reddish-brown varnish, which resembles Italian. Violins and violoncellos are substantially built, and have stood wear well. The violoncellos are splendid instruments, and the larger ones fetch high prices; some of the violins are also excellent, and the resemblance to Amati work is close. In the sound-holes he did not always succeed in catching the true form of the originals he copied. They bear a resemblance to those of Stainer, and the scrolls in all his work are German in character and cut. He stamped the blocks and interiors of many of his productions with his initials, but some of his finest efforts are unstamped. He was assisted by various workmen, including three sons: Benjamin, who also worked in London, and Liverpool, where he died in 1820; Henry and James, both of whom died in Liverpool in 1830 and 1831, respectively. He made instruments of inferior quality for the trade, some of which bear the stamp of Longman and Broderip.
BARNES, Robert.—London. Died 1794. Principally known as a dealer, and member of the firm of Norris and Barnes.
BARRETT, John.—London; to about 1740. Long-bodied, high-built instruments, having ink lines in place of purfling. Tone small, but generally of good quality.
BARTL (or Partl).—Vienna. The name is usually spelt “Partl” in labels. Several makers of this name worked in Vienna in the eighteenth century. In some specimens the work is good.
BARZONI.—The trade name of a well-known class of modern cheap instruments made on the Continent. They are well made, and the tone is usually good.
BAUSCH.—Dresden and Leipzig; nineteenth century. A family chiefly noted as makers of bows, many of which are highly esteemed, but there are many spurious specimens about.