George Craske

History

George Craske (1795-1888) was born in Bury St. Edmonds, UK, and initially trained with William Forster jr., also known as 'Young' Forster. He made instruments for Thomas Dodd and for the firm of Muzio Clementi. Craske left London and settled in Bath, where he became acquainted with Sir Patrick Blake, an amateur player and collector who owned a Stradivari violin and an Amati violin, which Craske subsequently copied. He lived briefly in Leeds and Sheffield before moving to Birmingham, where he opened a shop on Snow Hill and remained for approximately 20 years. During his time in Birmingham, he famously repaired Niccolò Paganini's Guarneri del Gesù 'Canone' violin during the virtuoso's English tour. Subsequently, Craske moved to Manchester, then Salford, and finally to Stockport, where he retired to his workshop, allowing no visitors other than his close friend George Crompton. He later returned to Bath and lived on the income from investments. Sources contain conflicting information about his death date; John Dilworth states he died in 1888, while William Meredith Morris reports his death in November 1889 at the advanced age of ninety-eight. Upon his death, hundreds of unsold and partly finished instruments had accumulated on his premises. According to Henley, 'No man, unassisted, ever made as many instruments as Craske'. John Dilworth calculates his output to have amounted to 2,050 violins, 300 violas, 250 cellos, and 20 double-basses, while Willibald Leo Lütgendorff states he built over 3,000 violins, violas, and cellos, and about 20 double-basses. All the unsold instruments passed to George Crompton, who then disposed of them to W. E. Hill & Sons. Hill & Sons finished and refitted these instruments, selling them with a special Hill label crediting Craske, and also published a short monograph on the maker to accompany the sales. William Meredith Morris notes that Craske's father was a foreigner, but Craske considered himself of English extraction, with an ancestor named Cross having settled in Russia and Germany. Lütgendorff mentions that Arthur Broadley published a biography titled "An english Stradivarius" in Musical News in 1901, No. 553.

Craft

• Workmanship: George Craske's works are described by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff as very cleanly executed after the best Italian models, with their tone improving year by year.
• Materials: He used good materials, though John Dilworth notes that sometimes the arching is excessively low, possibly due to trying to make too many instruments from one log.
• Varnish: His early work features a good clear varnish, but the majority of his instruments have a rather dull red coating, according to John Dilworth.
• Copies: Craske made fair imitations of Joseph Guarnerius and other Italian makers, and specifically copied Stradivari and Amati instruments from templets and measurements taken from those owned by Sir Patrick Blake.
• Heads/Scrolls: Many of Craske's instruments were left without heads, a part of the work he reportedly did not enjoy; in these cases, missing scrolls were manufactured by W. E. Hill & Sons.
• Tone: William Meredith Morris describes the tone of Craske's instruments as hard and metallic, large, round, and piercing, but lacking unction. While stronger than that of classical makers, it does not compare in mellowness and sweetness, making them splendidly adapted for orchestral purposes but less so for solo performance.
• Labels: Many of his instruments have a forged label in them, as noted by William Meredith Morris. Instruments sold by W. E. Hill & Sons featured a special Hill label stating: "Made by George Craske / born 1795 died 1888 / and sold by / William E. Hill & Sons, London".

Influence

• Training: George Craske received his initial training from William Forster jr., known as 'Young' Forster.
• Associations: He made instruments for Thomas Dodd and for the firm of Muzio Clementi.
• Models: Craske copied instruments by Stradivari and Amati, taking templets and measurements from those owned by Sir Patrick Blake. His works are generally Italian in character and executed after the best Italian models.

Legacy

• Posthumous Sales: After his death, hundreds of George Craske's unsold and partly finished instruments were acquired by his close friend and successor in business, George Crompton, who then sold them to W. E. Hill & Sons.
• W. E. Hill & Sons: Hill & Sons finished and refitted these instruments, selling them with a special label crediting Craske. They also published a short monograph about the maker to accompany the sales.
• Biographical Works: George Crompton wrote a biographical sketch of Craske published in The Strad in June 1893. Arthur Broadley also published a biography titled "An english Stradivarius" in Musical News in 1901, No. 553.
• Personality: William Meredith Morris quotes George Crompton's description of Craske's striking appearance and personality, noting that "His head was exactly the same shape and measure as Shakespeare's, and his memory one of the most remarkable that ever was known".

Further Information

• Locations: George Craske worked in various locations throughout his career, including Bury St. Edmonds, London, Bath, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham (where he had a shop on Snow Hill), Manchester, Salford, and Stockport.
• Notable Repairs: While in Birmingham, he repaired Niccolò Paganini's Guarneri del Gesù 'Canone' violin during the virtuoso's English tour.
• Output Estimates: John Dilworth, citing Henley, calculates Craske's output to be 2,050 violins, 300 violas, 250 cellos, and 20 double-basses. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, however, states he built over 3,000 violins, violas, and cellos, and about 20 double-basses.
• Exhibitions: Three of his violins, dating from 1820 to 1836, were exhibited in Edinburgh in 1880.
• Market Value: William Meredith Morris noted that in some catalogues, Craske's instruments were offered at £30, a sum he considered more than double their intrinsic value at the time.

Summary

George Craske (1795-1888) was a prolific English violin maker, born in Bury St. Edmonds and trained by William Forster jr. He worked for notable figures like Thomas Dodd and Muzio Clementi, and famously repaired Paganini's violin. Craske's career saw him move through various English cities, including London, Bath, Birmingham, Manchester, and Stockport, where he lived a reclusive life. He was known for copying Italian masters like Stradivari and Amati, producing a vast number of instruments, though estimates of his total output vary significantly between sources. While his craftsmanship was clean and he used good materials, his instruments often featured a dull red varnish and sometimes low archings. Posthumously, hundreds of his unfinished instruments were acquired, completed, and sold by W. E. Hill & Sons, who also published a monograph about him. Despite his prolific output and the improving tone of his instruments over time, critics like William Meredith Morris described their tone as hard and metallic, better suited for orchestral use than solo performance.