Gerard J. Deleplanque

A viol maker in Lille, 1760-88. He was at first established at " Marche aux poulets," near the " Marche aux poissons," but about 1766 transferred his business to the rue de la Grande-Chaussee. He has left some excellent specimens of his work ; a five-stringed viol, dated 1766, with yellow varnish tinged with red, was exhibited in 1878; a very beautiful guitar, dated 1768, is in the Paris Conservatoire Collection; also another magnificent one made of tortoiseshell, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory, dated 1775. Two other guitars are dated 1770 and 1777. The label "Gerard J. Deleplanque, luthier, rue de la Grande-Chaussee coin de celle des Dominicains a Lille, 1788," was found in a guitar; the same, dated 1772, in a guitar of eleven strings, which was peculiar in having the back of the lute or mandoline shape.