George Frederick Lott

History

George Frederick Lott (1800-1868) was the eldest son of John Frederick Lott, sen., born in London in 1800 and dying there in 1868, according to Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers. John Dilworth's The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers provides slightly different dates, stating he was born in 1801 and died in 1869 in London, UK. He was employed for a long time by Davis of Coventry Street, London, working there until 1844. Subsequently, he established his own business at 15 Gerrard Street. Over the following years, he moved regularly, residing at 23 Princes Street in 1845, 16 Princes Street in 1847, 65 Wardour Street in 1848, 36 Princes Street in 1853, Wardour Street again in 1855, and finally 3 Pitt Street, Tottenham Court Road, in his last year, 1869.

Craft

• Workmanship: George Frederick Lott was an excellent workman, as noted by Cecie Stainer.
• Imitation: He copied Italian instruments with great cleverness and success, often for the trade.
• Style: His work is mostly anonymous copies of Italian masters, rarely labelled by himself.
• Innovation: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff mentions in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart that he also attempted to make violins in a similar form to Galbusera, known as "Guitarreform."
• Comparison: John Dilworth describes his work as fine but lacking the inspiration of that of his younger brother, John Lott.

Influence

• Family: He was the eldest son of John Frederick Lott, sen., who was also a violin maker.
• Employment: He worked for many years for Davis of Coventry Street, London, until 1844.

Further Information

• Addresses: After leaving Davis, he operated his own business from various locations including 15 Gerrard Street, 23 Princes Street, 16 Princes Street, 65 Wardour Street, 36 Princes Street, and 3 Pitt Street, Tottenham Court Road.
• Labelling: His instruments were mostly anonymous copies made for the trade and were rarely labelled by himself.

Summary

George Frederick Lott (1800/1801-1868/1869) was a skilled English violin maker, the eldest son of John Frederick Lott, sen. He was known for his excellent workmanship and his clever imitations of Italian instruments, often working anonymously for the trade. He was employed by Davis of Coventry Street for many years before establishing his own business, which moved through several London addresses. He also experimented with forms similar to Galbusera's "Guitarreform" violins.