The "King Joseph" Guarneri del Ges� 1737

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri was the son of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista. He is known as Joseph Guarnerius del Ges�. He lived and worked in Cremona, Italy. He was born in 1698 and died in 1744. Stradivari and Guarnerius are ranked as the greatest violin makers.The King Joseph of 1735 is one of the finest Guarneri del Ges�. The back has a beautiful slab cut piece of wood. Guarneri del Ges� made several instruments from the same piece of slab cut wood. There is a stripe of grain on the front of the violin that has been stained.
The violin started in Italy and was taken to England by James Goding, who sold it to Mr. Plowden. Mr. John Walters of NYC then bought the violin and it was the first Guarneri del Ges� to come to America.

Photo image is included by Courtesy of the David L. Fulton Collection
It may not be downloaded for personal use or on any other web page.