John Dilworth
RITCHIE, Archibald Born 1833 Woodend, Kincardineshire, died 1901 Dundee, Scotland UK. The best maker of the Dundee school. Part-time self-taught maker, professionally employed at Dundee harbour. Early work on Stradivari-derived model; later favoured Guarneri. Completed over 200 violins. Generally quite impressive if unsophisticated work. Fine orange to dark red red Whitelaw varnish. Branded internally and occasionally beneath back button: ‘A Ritchie’ . Manuscript labels: A. Ritchie / Maker / No. 113 Dundee 1895 No 67 Dundee 1883
William Meredith Morris
He was born at Woodend, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Oct. 3, 1833, and died in Dundee in 1902, of blood-poisoning. He made over one hundred and fifty violins of excellent workmanship and tone on the model of a large Joseph Guarnerius. The work is thoroughly British in character — sober and solid. In some instances he slightly exaggerated the proportions of Del Gesu, but the result is never displeasing, the artistic sense being too highly developed in Ritchie to tolerate anything bordering on the grotesque. He used Whitelaw’s varnish, mostly of a red, or golden red colour. He was in the front rank of modern Scottish makers, and his beautiful work will be highly valued in the future.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff
Er war lange Jahre im Eisenbahnbau thätig und hat alle seine freie Zeit darauf verwendet, die Geigenmacherei zu studieren; er begann damit schon als Knabe. Ernsthafter beschäftigte er sich damit seit 1803 und hat über 120 Violinen gemacht, die alle recht gut sind und eine geschickte Hand verrathen. Seine älteren Geigen sind nach Stradivari gemacht und haben Spirituslack, die späteren nach Guarneri mit Öllack. Er verwendet auch einen Brandstempel mit seinem Namen.
Henri Poidras
Very thorough modern make after the Cremonese masters. His varnish lacks suppleness. Judging from the numbers on his last labels, his production must have been fairly large and at least two hundred instruments are to be accounted to him.
