cello bow
W.E. Hill & Sons
built in London in 1900-1914
A cello bow, made in the workshop of Hill and Sons in London, ca. 1900–1914. Round shaft, ebony frog with a Paris eye and silver mountings. Silver end plate. Weight 81 grams, length 70.0 cm.
History of this instrument
This cello bow was made by one of the bow makers at the W.E. Hill and Sons workshop. For a long time, it was assumed that the bow was made around 1953, but following recent research, experts now believe it was crafted in the early 20th century, between 1900 and 1914. The bow has a round shaft, an ebony frog with a Paris eye, and a silver mount. The frog plate is also made of silver. The bow was purchased one year after the founding of the Musical Instrument Fund in 1989 and has passed through many hands over the 35 years that followed. Mayke Rademakers was the first lucky person to receive the bow on loan; it then passed through the hands of Joachim Eijlander and Karlien Bartels, among others, before reaching its current player: Thomas van Geelen.
About W.E. Hill & Sons
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, William Ebsworth Hill and his sons were England’s preeminent violin makers. With their unparalleled knowledge and experience, they set a new standard in British violin making. W.E. Hill began...