August Martin Ludwig Gemunder

History

August Martin Ludwig Gemunder (1814-1895) was born in 1814 in Ingelfingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and died in 1895 in New York, USA. He was the son and pupil of Johann Georg Heinrich Gemünder. He worked in Regensburg before emigrating to America in 1846. Initially, he established himself in Springfield, Massachusetts, as an organ builder with his brother Albert. In 1859, he moved to New York to work with his other brother George until 1866. From 1864, he worked independently as an organ builder, but resumed violin making in 1866 and established the firm of August Gemünder & Sons in 1890. He achieved a very fine reputation as a copyist of individual master instruments and as a restorer. According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, he published a self-biography.

Craft

• Workmanship: He was a skilled copyist, working after models by Stradivari, Guarneri, and Maggini.
• Materials: The wood he selected was well-chosen, and his varnish ranged from gold-yellow to dark-red.
• Notable Instruments: At the Vienna World Exhibition in 1873, he exhibited a violin he named the "Kaisergeige" (Emperor's Violin), for which he demanded 10,000 Dollars.
• Reputation: His instruments were much used for solo playing.
• Accuracy: He made such an exact copy of the Amati violin belonging to Señor Sarasate that it was pronounced to be equal to the original.

Influence

• Mentorship: He was the pupil of his father, Johann Georg Heinrich Gemünder.
• Early Career: He worked for several years as an assistant in various German cities.

Legacy

• Firm: He established the firm of August Gemünder & Sons in 1890.
• Reputation: He was considered perhaps the best American violin maker of his time.
• Exhibitions: He exhibited the "Kaisergeige" at the Vienna World Exhibition in 1873.
• Publications: He published a self-biography.

Further Information

• Locations: He established his own workshop in Regensburg in 1839, then settled in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1846, and moved to New York in 1859 or 1860.
• Family Collaborations: He worked with his brother Albert as an organ builder in Springfield and later with his brother George in New York.

Summary

August Martin Ludwig Gemunder (1814-1895) was a prominent German-American violin maker, born in Ingelfingen and trained by his father. After working in Regensburg, he emigrated to the United States in 1846, initially working as an organ builder before resuming violin making in New York. He gained a significant reputation as a skilled copyist and restorer of master instruments, establishing the firm of August Gemünder & Sons in 1890. His instruments, known for their quality wood and varnish, were highly regarded, with one notable copy of a Sarasate Amati being deemed equal to the original.