Daniel Parker

History

Daniel Parker (circa 1712-1720) was an outstanding English maker of the early 18th century, working in London, UK. He was the first English maker to adopt the Stradivari model. According to John Dilworth, Parker's interest in the Stradivari model may have been sparked by the presence in London of the Cremonese violinist Gaspare Visconti, who was personally acquainted with Stradivari. Dilworth notes that no reliable record of Parker's circumstances has yet been found.

Sources contain conflicting information about Parker's working dates. John Dilworth states he worked circa 1712-1720. A Dictionary of Violin Makers by Cecie Stainer gives his period as about 1714-1785. George Hart, in The Violin, states his dates extend from 1740 to 1785. However, William Meredith Morris, in British Violin Makers, asserts that these earlier writers are incorrect, stating that there are undoubtedly genuine examples of Parker's work bearing the dates 1712, 1719, 1726, and 1732 still in existence. Morris mentions seeing an instrument dated 1712, which was pronounced genuine by the Messrs. Hart and Messrs. Hill, and was owned by Mr. Richard Hilton of Derby House, Matlock Bridge. Morris also notes that what is considered the finest Parker violin, owned by Clarkson Close, Esq., of Dagmar Lodge, Leeds, is dated by the Messrs. Hill to around 1700, though Morris suggests it resembles instruments made in 1726 more than those from 1712 and 1715. Morris concludes that Parker made his best instruments from about 1720 to 1727.

Parker made largely for the trade, and consequently, his instruments are often sold under other names, as noted by Cecie Stainer and George Hart. Morris states that Parker 'did not worry about fame' and was content to dispose of his ware to the trade. In 1793, his instruments were valued at five guineas each, rising to as much as fifteen guineas each by about 1805, according to Stainer.

Craft

• Model: Daniel Parker was the first English maker to adopt the Stradivari model, basing his work on a 'long pattern' model of circa 1690, though with rather full arching, according to John Dilworth. William Meredith Morris adds that Parker copied (or tried to copy) Stainer, Stradivari, and N. Amati. Cecie Stainer notes that he improved the pattern of his instruments, making them more similar to those of Amati.
• Workmanship: John Dilworth describes Parker's workmanship as 'not thoroughly well-finished, but is very fine and full of personality.' Cecie Stainer calls him a 'very clever workman.' William Meredith Morris characterizes it as 'free, firm, and rugged, with little or no feminine gracefulness smiling from its lines.' George Hart notes that Parker left his violins 'thick in wood.'
• Varnish: Dilworth states the varnish is 'usually a rich orange-red or deeper brown and of good consistency and texture.' Stainer describes it as 'red varnish, a disagreeable colour, rather thickly laid on; the varnish rather transparent and soft.' Morris notes it is 'of excellent quality, tender, and of various reddish shades, sometimes a little thick and dull.' Hart describes it as 'of a mellow quality, and fairly transparent.' Willibald Leo Lütgendorff highlights his 'fine, beautiful, only sometimes too thick oil varnish of bright red color,' noting its suppleness.
• Scrolls: Scrolls generally have a blackened chamfer in the manner of Stradivari, according to Dilworth. Morris mentions a 'rather doubtful scroll' on the 1712 instrument and a 'magnificent scroll' on the instrument owned by Clarkson Close.
• Wood: The wood used was excellent, often handsomely figured, as noted by Cecie Stainer and George Hart.
• Tone: Cecie Stainer describes the tone as 'clear and powerful.' William Meredith Morris states the tone of the Clarkson Close instrument is 'bright, clear, and powerful,' and that Parker's tone has 'much the same characteristics as that of Banks.'
• Instruments Produced: Parker made almost exclusively violins, according to Cecie Stainer and Willibald Leo Lütgendorff. However, John Dilworth notes that 'at least one viola of eccentric form is known, with double-canted back and decorative purfling.'

Influence

• Mentorship: Daniel Parker is presumed by John Dilworth to have been a pupil of B. Norman. Cecie Stainer and Willibald Leo Lütgendorff suggest he was possibly a pupil of Urquhart or Pamphilon. However, William Meredith Morris disputes this, stating it is 'difficult to understand' on what ground this surmise is made, as there is 'not the remotest resemblance between his work and that of either of these.' Morris suggests it is 'not necessary to suppose that he was a pupil of anybody, for he was a born artist, and endowed with natural mechanical skill.'
• Employment: He was later employed by J. Hare, and several examples of his work have been found with Hare's label, according to John Dilworth.
• Artistic Inspiration: His interest in the Stradivari model may have been sparked by the presence in London of the Cremonese violinist Gaspare Visconti, who was personally acquainted with Stradivari, as noted by John Dilworth.
• Impact on English School: George Hart credits Parker, in conjunction with Benjamin Banks, with the merit of 'breaking through the prejudice so long in favour of preference for the Stainer model.'

Legacy

• Notable Users: Fritz Kreisler used a Parker violin as his concert instrument, according to John Dilworth.
• Market Presence: Parker made largely for the trade, and consequently, his instruments are often sold under other names, as noted by Cecie Stainer and George Hart. William Meredith Morris states that Parker 'did not worry about fame, and was content to dispose of his ware to the trade.'
• Historical Significance: His instruments are considered 'typical examples of British work of the classical period' by William Meredith Morris. George Hart notes that his instruments are 'well worthy of attention from those in search of good Violins at a moderate cost.'

Further Information

• Workshop Location: Daniel Parker worked in London, UK.
• Labeling: John Dilworth mentions a label reading 'Daniel Parker / London 1717.' William Meredith Morris notes that 'comparatively few of this maker's instruments bear his label.'

Summary

Daniel Parker was a significant English violin maker active in London during the early 18th century, with his most productive period noted between 1720 and 1727. He is recognized as the first English maker to adopt the Stradivari model, though he also copied Stainer and N. Amati. His craftsmanship, while not always thoroughly finished, is described as fine and full of personality, characterized by a rich orange-red or deeper brown varnish and scrolls often featuring a blackened chamfer in the Stradivari manner. Sources conflict on his exact working dates and presumed teachers, with some suggesting B. Norman, Urquhart, or Pamphilon, while others argue he was a self-taught 'born artist.' Parker made instruments largely for the trade, often without his own label, and his violins were used by notable musicians like Fritz Kreisler. He is credited, alongside Benjamin Banks, with shifting the English preference away from the Stainer model.