William Hamilton

History

William Hamilton (1861-c.1900) was born on May 5, 1861, in Anderston, Glasgow, and was by profession a consulting engineer. He received training in the use of wood-working tools during his time in a pattern shop, as noted by William Meredith Morris in British Violin Makers. John Dilworth, in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, states that Hamilton worked circa 1900 in Uddingstone, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.

Craft

• Models: William Hamilton made instruments based on models by Gasparo da Salò, Stradivari, and Guarneri, in addition to his own original model, as mentioned by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.
• Gasparo da Salò Copy: William Meredith Morris described a copy of Gasparo da Salò by Hamilton as one of the finest examples of the copyist's art he had seen, noting its superb wood with a curl of medium width and mathematical regularity.
• Varnish: Hamilton utilized an oil varnish of a golden orange colour for his Gasparo da Salò copy, according to William Meredith Morris.
• Tone: The Gasparo da Salò copy produced an exceedingly powerful, rich, and free tone.
• Original Model: An instrument made on Hamilton's original model exaggerated the proportions of the Brescian model, with a length of 14 3/8in., an upper bout width of 6 7/8in., and a lower bout width of 8 5/8 in.
• Original Model Tone: The tone of this original model was described as nasal and viola-like, lacking carrying power.
• Workmanship: William Meredith Morris praised Hamilton's workmanship as faultless, with careful attention paid to the minutest detail.
• Varnish Type: Both Willibald Leo Lütgendorff and John Dilworth note his use of commercially produced Whitelaw's amber varnish.

Further Information

• Birth: May 5, 1861, in Anderston, Glasgow.
• Profession: Consulting engineer.
• Training: Spent time in a pattern shop, trained in wood-working tools.
• Working Period: Circa 1900.
• Working Location: Uddingstone, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.
• Labeling: He used no traditional label, instead writing his autograph, town, and date across the back of his instruments. John Dilworth specifies a manuscript label reading "William Hamilton / Uddingstone, 1896".

Summary

William Hamilton (1861-c.1900) was a Scottish amateur violin maker and consulting engineer, born in Anderston, Glasgow. He was known for his faultless workmanship and his copies of instruments by makers such as Gasparo da Salò, Stradivari, and Guarneri, often using Whitelaw's amber varnish.