William James Farrell

FARRELL, William James Born 1870 South Shields, Tyneside UK, died 1926 Concord, Australia. Self-taught maker. Active from 1916 in Caledonian Road, London. Emigrated to Australia 1920, living in Brisbane and from 1923 in Concord, near Sydney. Used native Australian woods. Stradivari and Guarneri models. Generally one piece backs and fronts, upper and lower ribs in one piece, and continuous inner linings run across the blocks. Scroll in the form of a ram's horn. Orange oil varnish. Two qualities of work: ‘Orchestral and general model’ and ‘Artists' model’. Instruments and parts of instruments once formed a display at Kew Gardens Botanical Museum, London.