John Barrett

John Dilworth

BARRETT, John Worked circa. 1713-1743 London UK. An early copyist of Stainer in England. Established from 1713 ‘next the Standard in Piccadilly’, later at the ‘Crown and Anchor’, and from 1721 at the ‘Harp and Crown, Coventry Street’, this last having also been the sign of Robert Cuthbert’s shop. Barrett’s business covered all aspects of music and accessories, like many other early English luthiers. Some rather mundane work with painted purfling, but others of exquisite workmanship in the manner of Wamsley. Varnish of a golden-brown or orange-red colour, of good consistency. Also made cellos of compact size and at least one double bass, listed on the inventory of the Duke of Chandos in 1720. John Barrett, at the Harp and Crown / in Piccadilly,1722 Made by John Barrett / at Ye Harp and Crown / in Pickadilly, London, 1731

William Meredith Morris

He copied Stainer, and very often exaggerated his arching. He also worked on a modified Stainer pattern, which was long, narrow, grooved, and highly arched. The workmanship is fair, but the tone is very small and muffled. As a rule, he used ink-lines instead of purfle. The varnish is yellow and hungry looking, and helps to give a cheap look to the instrument. Somebody reports having seen a violoncello of his make somewhere, which had a beautiful tone. It is possible that he did make good work, but it has not been the fortune of any of it to come down to our days. He was a contemporary of Barak Norman and Nathaniel Cross. Labels : —

JOHN BARRETT, AT THE HARP AND CROWN IN PICCADILLY, 1720.

MADE BY JOHN BARRETT, AT YE HARP & CROWN IN PICCADILLY, LONDON, 1730

Cecie Stainer

Worked about 1714-30 at the ” Harp and Crown ” in Piccadilly, London. A contemporary of Barak Norman and Nathaniel Cross. He made some good instruments on a long and arched pattern, but they all have ink-lines instead of purfle, and the fluting where the ink-lines are is very acute, forming almost the inner half of a circle; the tone of his violins is sweet but not powerful, the wood well selected, the varnish a yellow colour. 1802, they were valued at 6 guineas, later at 8 or 10. A violoncello is mentioned as of beautiful tone.

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

Wahrscheinlich ein Schüler des gleichen Meisters wie N. Cross. Er verwendete
ein längliches, hochgewölbtes Modell, das mehr an Stainer wie an
Amati erinnert. Statt der Einlage zeichnete er am Rande Linien ein. Der
Lack, den er verwendete, dürfte gelb gewesen sein, ist aber stark ins Bräunliche
nachgedunkelt. Der Ton ist edel, wenn auch nicht gross, die Arbeit gut
aber gewöhnlich. Von ihm sind zweierlei Zettel bekannt, der ältere einfach gedruckt,
der spätere zeigt noch eine gekrönte Lyra.