Alexander Smillie

History

Alexander SMILLIE (1847-1918) was born on January 25, 1847, in Cambuslang, Scotland, and died in 1918 in Crosshill, Glasgow, Scotland. He was the son of John and Margaret Smillie. He received elementary education at the Cambuslang Parish School. On April 27, 1876, he married Janet Andrews at Cordonald, near Paisley, and they had six children: John, Andrew, Alexander, Margaret, Nellie, and Bessie. Smillie was active as a violin maker from 1887, though his first instrument was not made until 1889. He was primarily self-taught, establishing his workshop at 3, Renton Terrace in Crosshill, Glasgow, by 1887. From 1893 to 1901, he operated from 514 Victoria Road. In 1902, his second son, Andrew, joined him in the business, and they settled together at 171 St George's Road. He also maintained workshops at 130 Shamrock Street, Glasgow, where he conducted an extensive business as a repairer and dealer. Sources contain conflicting information about his total production; John Dilworth states he produced more than 300 instruments, Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes over 120 violins, various violas, and a dozen cellos, Henri Poidras estimates about 150 instruments, and William Meredith Morris records 160 violins, 15 violas, and 13 violoncellos.

Craft

• Models: Alexander Smillie worked primarily on Stradivari and Guarneri models, though William Meredith Morris notes he was not a mere copyist.
• Varnish: According to John Dilworth, his instruments were oil varnished with Whitelaw's amber preparation, applied in an even red-brown over a good reflective ground. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff describes the varnish as Whitelaw's Bernsteinlacke of reddish-yellow or dark orange colors, while Henri Poidras mentions a yellow-red varnish.
• Workmanship: His work is described as careful and well-made by Lütgendorff, and William Meredith Morris states his instruments show excellent work, placing him in the front rank of modern makers.
• Materials: He generally used fine materials, though some local woods are in evidence. He frequently used old wood, especially for the front tables, which he acoustically tested to ensure excellent quality. The grain of some pine used could be very wide, up to 1/4 of an inch towards the margins.
• Purfling: The purfling corners often feature a distinctively turned bee-sting, as noted by John Dilworth. William Meredith Morris further specifies that the corners are in the style of Riechers, with the "wasp's sting" of the purfling reaching very nearly to the inner angles. The purfling itself is inlaid with accuracy.
• Linings: John Dilworth observes that the linings run across the face of the corner blocks.
• Backs: Smillie cut his backs using various methods depending on the wood, including on the slab, which produced a beautiful effect with "cloud-like coruscations of golden sheen."
• Stain: Some of his instruments exhibit a narrow line of light-brown stain on the front tables, possibly from an unusual coloring of the cambium cells during the wood's growth.
• Outline and Arching: The outline combines grace and boldness, with a full waist that rapidly extends in width towards the lower bouts, contributing to solidity and firmness of tone. The arching is moderately full and extended.
• Scroll: The scroll is magnificently sculptured, featuring deep coulisses or grooves around the back and head, with very sharp lines. The lines of the volute are also sharp and cut with mathematical precision. The throat is as carefully finished as the head.
• Peg-box and Scollop: The peg-box is strong, with sides about 1/5 of an inch thick. The scollop projects slightly more than in typical Italian instruments but complements the scroll.
• Button: The button is of medium size and in the best classical style.
• Sound-holes: His sound-holes are described as beautiful, moderately wide, and slightly shorter than the grand period holes of Stradivari. The upper turns are smaller but very pretty. They are set farther from the edge and about 1/16 of an inch lower than Stradivari's, with an angle of inclination around eighty degrees.
• Margins and Edges: The margins are of medium width, and the edges are strong and rounded, with a depth of 3/16 of an inch, raised about 1/16 of an inch to a gentle ridge.
• Cellos: His cellos are considered exceptionally fine by John Dilworth and, according to William Meredith Morris, are equal to, if not better than, his violins, possessing a grand, mellow, remarkably free, and full tone across all positions.

Influence

• Mentorship: Alexander Smillie was primarily self-taught but received assistance from George Duncan and owned two of Duncan's violins.

Legacy

• Fraudulent Relabeling: Many of Smillie's instruments have been fraudulently relabeled by dealers as contemporary Italian work, a testament to their quality.
• Exhibitions: He never exhibited any of his instruments.
• Character: William Meredith Morris describes him as a patient, unassuming worker, to whom the spirit of rivalry was foreign, and whose rare humor and genial manner earned him numerous friends in the "great fiddle world."

Further Information

• Workshops: His workshops included 3, Renton Terrace in Crosshill, Glasgow; 514 Victoria Road; 171 St George's Road; and 130 Shamrock Street, Glasgow.
• Labels: Examples of his printed labels include "Alex Smillie Fecit / Crosshill, Glasgow, 1896 / No 100" and "Alex: Smillie fecit / Crosshill, Glasgow, 1900 / No. 132" (Rattray).

Summary

Alexander Smillie (1847-1918) was a Scottish violin maker, primarily self-taught, who established his workshop in Glasgow by 1887. He was known for producing high-quality instruments, including violins, violas, and cellos, often based on Stradivari and Guarneri models. His craftsmanship was characterized by careful workmanship, the use of fine and often old materials, distinctive "bee-sting" purfling, and magnificently sculptured scrolls. Smillie's cellos, in particular, were highly regarded for their grand, mellow tone. Despite never exhibiting his work, the quality of his instruments was such that some were fraudulently relabeled as contemporary Italian pieces, a testament to his skill.