A violin by Collin-Mézin atelier.

This violin was played by Pizzicato Foundation scholarship holder, Mr. Aleksander Żyła, who performed on it in numerous competitions with great success.

The Collin-Mézin family represents one of the most famous dynasties of French luthiers. The lineage consisted of three primary makers, all named Charles.

The first, Charles Jean-Baptiste (C.J.B.) Collin-Mézin (1841–1923), was a tremendously skilled luthier who brought the family international fame. Originally from Mirecourt, he established himself in Paris and became one of the leading French makers of the 19th century. His instruments were highly regarded by great soloists, including Joseph Joachim. He won gold medals at three Paris exhibitions (1878, 1889, and 1900) and generally worked after the models of Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati. In addition to violins, he was also an accomplished bow maker.

His son, Charles Collin-Mézin fils (1870–1934), worked alongside his father and eventually took over the family workshop, moving the primary production back to Mirecourt. While many of his early instruments were made for his father and followed the elder’s models, he eventually developed a more personal style characterized by a different varnish and arching.

The third generation was represented by Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin III (born 1910), who took over the atelier following his father’s death in 1934. Under his direction, the workshop continued to produce instruments that maintained the family’s reputation for powerful and quality violins.

Labelled:

“J. B. COLLIN-MÉZIN / Luthier / 1937 / GRAND PRIX – Exposition Universelle 1900 / PARIS”

Hand-written notes: signature “Collin-Mézin” and “12÷24 fil”

Size:

Length of body – 360 mm