Henry James Shrosbree

History

Henry James SHROSBREE (1858-) was born in London in December 1858. From 1872 until the end of 1880, he followed a seafaring life, voyaging to Adelaide for the second time in the latter year. Upon his arrival in Adelaide, he entered the service of Sir E. T. Smith and remained with him until Sir Smith's retirement from business. Mr. Shrosbree's father was a taxidermist, an art in which Henry James Shrosbree also duly qualified. After leaving Sir Edwin Smith's employ, Mr. Shrosbree worked for Mr. Lawrence, a well-known Adelaide taxidermist, who attested to his understanding of all branches of the work. In 1891, he was awarded a first prize and certificate of merit for a very fine taxidermy exhibit at the Adelaide Exhibition of Art and Industry. According to John Dilworth, he was established in Adelaide from 1880 and became a violin maker from approximately 1895. An article written in the April 1897 number of Music, an Adelaide monthly, provides an account of his life and work. Mr. Shrosbree is recognized as a practical musician and a good violinist, holding testimonials from many leading musicians of Adelaide, eminent artists, and well-known members of the profession.

Craft

• Ability: Henry James Shrosbree is known as a maker and repairer of violins of exceptional ability, recognized by the profession as a skillful repairer and a maker unrivalled in Australia.
• Dedication: He spent all his spare time for years studying music and the mechanism of the violin.
• Awards: His excellent violin specimens were awarded first prize and a certificate of merit for workmanship, model, and tone at the 1895 Exhibition of Art and Industry in Adelaide, a competition noted as the largest yet held in Australia. At the Century Exhibition in Adelaide in 1900, his exhibit, comprising his Nos. 7 and 8 violins, a recently constructed viola, and assorted bridges, earned him first prize for violins, first for viola, first for musical appliances (bridges), and a special prize for the best exhibit in its group.
• Tone Quality: His instruments produce a fine, rich Italian tone. An eminent critic noted that his violins possess a sonorous tone-quality, with lower strings resembling the rich qualities of the clarinet and the A and E strings being particularly clear and brilliant.
• Repair System: He invented a 'relieving bar system' for repairing violins, which requires the bars to be located with mathematical accuracy.
• Varnish: After years of labor and considerable cost, Mr. Shrosbree discovered the varnish he uses on his violins, which experts pronounce to be second to none. His instruments at the 1900 exhibition featured brilliant coatings of oil amber varnish.
• Workmanship: An eminent critic described one of his latest violins as 'a more perfect or finely-finished instrument it would seem almost impossible to possess'. The archings are beautifully worked out, and the art of purfling is remarkably clever, laid in so finely as to appear almost impossible to accomplish by hand.
• Materials: He uses fine wood, specially imported for him by Messrs. S. Marshall & Sons.
• Specialty: He makes a speciality of bridges crafted from very old wood.
• Pricing: Mr. Shrosbree charges, and reportedly receives, the high price of £50 for a violin.

Legacy

• Awards: Henry James Shrosbree was a medal winner at the Century Exhibition in Adelaide, as noted by John Dilworth. He received multiple first prizes and a special prize at the 1900 Century Exhibition, and a first prize and certificate of merit at the 1895 Exhibition of Art and Industry in Adelaide.
• Recognition: He is recognized by the profession as a maker unrivalled in Australia.

Further Information

• Workshop Location: Adelaide, Australia.
• Label: An example of his label reads: 'Henry James Shrosbree, faciebat / Adelaide. S. Australia. Anno 1899 H.J.S'.

Summary

Henry James Shrosbree (born 1858 in London) was a highly regarded Australian violin maker and repairer, established in Adelaide from 1880. Initially trained as a taxidermist, he became a self-taught luthier around 1895, gaining significant recognition for his exceptional craftsmanship. His instruments, known for their fine rich Italian tone and brilliant oil amber varnish, earned multiple first prizes at the Adelaide Exhibitions of Art and Industry in 1895 and the Century Exhibition in 1900. Shrosbree also invented a 'relieving bar system' for violin repair and specialized in bridges made from old wood, commanding high prices for his work.