Otakar Frantisek SPIDLEN

SPIDLEN, Otakar Frantisek Born 1896 Kiev Ukraine, died 1958 Prague Czech Republic. Son, pupil, and successor of Frantisek Spidlen, above. A very refined and successful maker, his time was mostly devoted to the running of the shop and to fine restoration and repair work. Total output was around 150 instruments, but he was rightly very highly regarded and patronised by the finest soloists of his age. Best and most prolific period was c.1925-1930. Stradivari and Guarneri models exclusively, using an imported commercial varnish of orange-red tint. Influenced by his cousin J. Vitachek in using various methods to tune the plates of the violin acoustically. One violin made in honour of the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Masaryk, in 1936, bearing the state emblem painted on the back, and the initials �T.G.M.�. Otakar F. �pidlen / zhotovil v Praze roku 19..