James M. Jones Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Posted April 21, 2015 All photo's shot through glass , there might be some glair . the" King " Amati
Dwight Brown Posted April 21, 2015 Report Posted April 21, 2015 If you get a polarizing filter it will help a lot. I think you have a DSLR. Probably need to be careful of exactly what kind and what size depending on the lens and camera. DLB
James M. Jones Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Posted April 21, 2015 The NMM is currently looking for a million dollars to do an expansion ...apparently they have a basement full of materials they can not display due to lack of space ... any contributions will help them . another Amati....and a Strad w/ original case ...
skiingfiddler Posted April 21, 2015 Report Posted April 21, 2015 All photo's shot through glass , there might be some glair . the" King " Amati That fiddle looks ready to play, in modern setup with synthetic strings. Is that a new policy at the NMM, to have instruments in playing condition? I thought that for quite a while the policy was to leave instruments alone with no effort to maintain them against what time does to them, but to preserve them by not letting them be played.
James M. Jones Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Posted April 21, 2015 Ski, I don't know , I only had a short amount of time ...just enough to figure out that I have to go back ....
Dwight Brown Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 Those are jaw-dropping f-holes. I agree! those long almost perfectly upright f holes really get me. One of my favorite aspects of Da Salo violas. I got a flyer from Bein and Fushi today. They have a Gaspar violin for sale at the moment they can't come on the market very often. DLB
Addie Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 Ski, I don't know , I only had a short amount of time ...just enough to figure out that I have to go back .... We need a MN group trip...
Dwight Brown Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 We need a MN group trip... Heck Yeah!! DLB
James M. Jones Posted April 22, 2015 Author Report Posted April 22, 2015 yes , ... The trick will be to set some time in advance, the museum is short staffed so working with them to arrange convenient times is critical, also group size might be a factor , as well as the makeup of the group . A brothers Amati piccolo violin
Thomas Coleman Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 Me and fellow students from the Chicago School of Violin Making must have passed you like a ship in the night James! We just got back yesterday evening from the museum. It was such a great trip. In addition to getting a personalized tour from the Stringed Instrument Curator, Arian Sheets, we also got to check out the Mahoney Collection at the USD library. The Mahoney Collection is maybe the largest collection of printed material on violins (all aspects) in the US. Arian also brought up three experimental instruments from the basement for us to handle and inspect. A Stelzner violetta and a Stelzner 'cello. Very unique instruments and my favorites from the experimental schools. I really enjoyed seeing the Gagliano Viola d'amore and the N. Amati violin is incredible. It was also really nice to see the Mantegazza viola because that is my current viola project at school. I'm happy to see that you enjoyed it as much as we did. I cannot recommend the museum enough for anyone interested in instruments of all kinds. The collection of stringed instruments is SO amazing!
James M. Jones Posted April 22, 2015 Author Report Posted April 22, 2015 How long did you all get to stay? I felt like at least two full days would be a good start.... thanks for the USD Mahoney connection ...is that a call ahead type thing , or do they allow drop ins? The thing that struck me the most ...perhaps... was the individuality of the makers. It was a very creative point in time , with apparently no fixed rules, True that there was a relationship between say the German and Italian schools, They were both building guitars, mandolins and violin family, but the execution of detail differs so vastly, as if it was intentional , almost a statement, or signature. here is the Strad rosette , and a German rosette , I had a hard time getting the picture to show the depth of the German work ...it was a built up process about 1 1/2 inches deep . and extremely fine and lace like .
skiingfiddler Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 We need a MN group trip... In all the years that the VSA has done conventions in the odd numbered, non-competition years, starting back in the early 1970s, there has been only one such odd numbered year convention west of the Mississippi. That was back in 1991 and was at the Vermillion museum, which back then was called the Shrine to Music Museum. If the VSA ever deigns to think the West might be worthy of having another odd numbered year convention, the National Music Museum would be a good place to have one. But that would require a change in the VSA's attitude about where odd numbered year conventions should be held.
James M. Jones Posted April 22, 2015 Author Report Posted April 22, 2015 Ski, As much as I might personally agree with your position as to where the VSA conferences are located, I also understand that as an organization they have a lot more to consider than what either you ..or I think ...Overall, the VSA has done more for American violin making than any other organization, and while it does have it's problems and needs to keep up and change with the times and it's membership ,all true ...but ....What can we really expect from the small annual fee required of members , it's not even the cost of one night in a hotel ...or any number of other things 'we' spend on in daily life. I would rather have the focus of this thread revolve around the positive nature and benefit of NMM to luthiers...And as Addie pointed out the possibility that WE might do something as a group sometime ...I for one, am not waiting for VSA to pave the way ..Going down that road is a fools bargain ..Best to take personal responsibility for one's own education....utilizing the available resources as best as possible... As far as American resource goes... NMM is unsurpassed, and IMHO should be on the list of anyone who wants to be anything more than a box maker. This is quite possibly the oldest known Cello, by Amati , it has been cut down .
Stephen Churchill Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 Great pictures, If its ok James, I'll include these pictures in my entry for NMM here. For anyone interested the museum list is discussed in this thread. Thanks Stephen
Janito Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 How does one get to Vermillion? On the ground, of course. Seriously, how does one get there from the Southeast?
skiingfiddler Posted April 22, 2015 Report Posted April 22, 2015 Ski, As much as I might personally agree with your position as to where the VSA conferences are located, I also understand that as an organization they have a lot more to consider than what either you ..or I think ...Overall, the VSA has done more for American violin making than any other organization, and while it does have it's problems and needs to keep up and change with the times and it's membership ,all true ...but ....What can we really expect from the small annual fee required of members , it's not even the cost of one night in a hotel ...or any number of other things 'we' spend on in daily life. I would rather have the focus of this thread revolve around the positive nature and benefit of NMM to luthiers...And as Addie pointed out the possibility that WE might do something as a group sometime ...I for one, am not waiting for VSA to pave the way ..Going down that road is a fools bargain ..Best to take personal responsibility for one's own education....utilizing the available resources as best as possible... As far as American resource goes... NMM is unsurpassed, and IMHO should be on the list of anyone who wants to be anything more than a box maker. This is quite possibly the oldest known Cello, by Amati , it has been cut down . James, I will respect your wishes not to turn this thread into an argument about how the VSA treats its western members. Concerning having the VSA sponsor a visit to the NMM, the VSA has a lot more influence that a bunch of non-affiliated people have in taking full advantage of everything an institution like the NMM has to offer. I know that when the VSA had its 1999 convention at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, we were afforded a great many privileges that just anybody walking in off the street isn't given: Seeing all the Strads, being able to take the Library of Congress instruments in hand and play them, listening to experts from those institutions. I don't know what is and isn't available to the general public at the NMM, but having an official violin related organization sponsor and organize a visit to NMM might make more instruments and staff available than the general public can see and hear from. Since the VSA is reluctant to step west of the Mississippi, someone might look into what the southern California or the Arizona violin making organizations could do with respect to organizing a trip to the NMM. The organizing association would boost its membership. I, as a non-maker, would be willing to join if membership meant getting more out of a NMM visit. I know Ray Leicht from the Arizona group (great maker. I have a violin from him). I'll get in touch with him to see if there's any interest. Maybe someone from the southern California group can do some checking with them.
Marilyn Wallin Posted April 23, 2015 Report Posted April 23, 2015 An invitation went out via email in February to all VSA members in good standing. It was from President Lori Kirr announcing a weekend at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, May 16 and 17. It is completely booked, and in fact filled with a waiting list in 5 hours. Many notable scholars (scheduled as of this writing: Andrew Dipper, Claire Givens, Philip Kass, Christopher Reuning, James Warren and Matt Zeller) will be addressing the VSA members at this first Great Plains Regional VSA Meeting. There was a tuition of $295 charged for the weekend. We will have several hours to visit the rooms, several hours of lectures of a somewhat less formal nature, and a few instruments will be taken out of the cases for us to view in small groups as well. We may consider doing this again another year. I think Lori's regional meeting initiative is a great part of her plan for her tenure as VSA President. I followed up on that suggestion and put together the upcoming event. Looking forward, Marilyn Wallin Lincoln, Nebraska
nathan slobodkin Posted April 23, 2015 Report Posted April 23, 2015 How does one get to Vermillion? On the ground, of course. Seriously, how does one get there from the Southeast? Head North West
Janito Posted April 23, 2015 Report Posted April 23, 2015 Head North West Yep, but I could end up in a Jackson hole. Not much on transportation here: http://www.city-data.com/city/Vermillion-South-Dakota.html or here: http://www.vermillioncvb.com/ ============ I managed to coax the spirochaete to connect my 2 neurones and found this: http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/location.html#air
Addie Posted April 23, 2015 Report Posted April 23, 2015 You want to get onto I-90, through Chicago, and Albert Lea... Which would be a good route for a MN bus trip.
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