John Blair

History

John Blair (1790-1822) worked in Edinburgh, Scotland UK, established at 8, Potterow.

Sources contain conflicting information regarding his relationship with Matthew Hardie; John Dilworth states he was 'said to have been a pupil of Matthew Hardie,' while Willibald Leo Lütgendorff suggests Hardie was 'probably sein Schüler' (his pupil) and William Meredith Morris quotes a Mr. Honeyman who was 'of opinion that he was the teacher of Matthew Hardie.'

He may have been associated with William Ferguson, another Edinburgh contemporary, and was assisted by Robert Ballantyne, who succeeded to his business in 1827.

Craft

• Model: He employed a personal model described as very distinctive, well-proportioned, and featuring a strong, low arch, small corners, and a delicate scroll, despite a slightly rustic but highly attractive finish.
• Inspiration: He worked after the Stradivari model.
• Materials: He used local woods, and his instruments featured slender, well-fitted purflings.
• Varnish: The varnish was generally of very good quality and texture, golden-orange and very reflective, though some examples had a more meagre, brown-yellow spirit varnish. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes his spirit varnish, now appearing quite brown, was originally yellowish.
• Tone: William Meredith Morris states that while his instruments were excellent in appearance, they were 'not so excellent in tone.'

Influence

• Mentorship: Sources contain conflicting information regarding his mentorship with Matthew Hardie. John Dilworth suggests Blair was 'said to have been a pupil of Matthew Hardie,' while Willibald Leo Lütgendorff indicates Hardie was 'probably sein Schüler' (his pupil) of Blair, and William Meredith Morris quotes a Mr. Honeyman, who believes Blair was 'the teacher of Matthew Hardie.'
• Association: He may have been associated with William Ferguson, an Edinburgh contemporary.

Further Information

• Address: He was established at 8, Potterow in Edinburgh.
• Marking: His instruments were unlabelled but signed on the interior: 'John Blair, maker, Edinburgh'. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes he sometimes wrote his name in his works and used a brandmark 'J. B.'. William Meredith Morris also states he usually wrote his name across the belly on the inside.

Summary

John Blair (1790-1822) was an Edinburgh-based luthier known for his distinctive personal model and use of the Stradivari model. He worked at 8, Potterow and was assisted by Robert Ballantyne. His instruments featured local woods, slender purflings, and a generally good quality golden-orange varnish. Sources offer conflicting accounts regarding his relationship with Matthew Hardie, with some suggesting he was Hardie's pupil and others that he was Hardie's teacher.