Donald Urquhart

History

Donald Urquhart (1859-Unknown) was born at Balblair, near Invergordon, on August 17, 1859, and received his education at Jaminaville Free Church school in the parish of Resolis. He was a self-taught amateur maker, active from 1874, and according to John Dilworth, he completed approximately 20 violins. William Meredith Morris notes that Urquhart began making fiddles and experimenting with varnish fifteen years prior to the publication of British Violin Makers, demonstrating a highly developed sense of beauty and masterly deftness with tools despite having no formal training in violin-making.

Craft

• Varnish: Urquhart developed his own self-prepared oil varnish, which was noted for its great beauty and lustre.
• Varnish Characteristics: This varnish was produced in three shades: dark yellow, light orange, and deep orange red. Its color was absolutely permanent, even under the strongest sunlight, and it became more lustrous after prolonged exposure. The varnish"s toughness and elasticity made it exceedingly difficult to polish and required months to dry, even in strong sunlight, yet Urquhart successfully achieved a perfectly polished surface.
• Model and Outline: The outline and arching of his instruments were based on a full-sized Stradivari model, characterized by broad edges.
• Sound-holes: The sound-holes on his violins were modified from traditional designs.
• Scroll: His scrolls were entirely original and considered a most graceful piece of work, distinguished by a deep scooping of the volute and a consequent boldness of its axis.
• Wood: The wood used for the back was of the usual description and good quality, while the belly wood was particularly fine, with the "reed" of the pine being fully one-seventh of an inch wide and consistently even.
• Construction: The edges of his instruments were strong, with a full margin. The thicknesses were carefully graduated, and the instruments were left strong in wood. The interior finish was so fine that the wood had a polish, with no suspicion of glue lines.
• Tone: The tone of his violins, while not powerful, was described as sweet and mellow. It was particularly fine on the D and A strings, and the first octave on the third string possessed the juicy richness reminiscent of the chalumeau in a clarinet.

Further Information

• Label: His instruments bore a manuscript label stating "Donald Urquhart / Tain. N.B. 1897".
• Materials: He utilized local materials in the construction of his instruments.
• Varnishing Process: During the varnishing stage, instruments were exposed to the full blaze of the sun from April to September in a conservatory window, where the thermometer on sunny days registered 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Summary

Donald Urquhart (b. 1859) was a self-taught amateur violin maker from Balblair, Scotland, active from 1874, who crafted approximately 20 violins. Despite lacking formal training, he was noted for his masterly deftness with tools and a highly developed sense of beauty. Urquhart was particularly recognized for his unique, self-prepared oil varnish, which he produced in three permanent shades and meticulously dried under strong sunlight. His instruments, based on a full-sized Stradivari model with original scrolls and modified sound-holes, featured strong construction, fine wood, and a sweet, mellow tone, especially on the D and A strings.