James William Briggs

James William Briggs was a pupil of Tarr in Manchester starting in 1869 and established himself in Wakefield in 1878. He won a gold medal at the Leeds exhibition in 1890, followed by diplomas in Paris and Vienna. In 1893, he moved to Glasgow. A very fine maker and distinguished connoisseur, he was unique in being elected to the Violin Maker's Association of Germany. For over fifty years, he employed ...Read More Philip Schreiber as an assistant. He created many fine copies of classical instruments featuring richly-hued varnish of good texture, including an imitation of cellist Pablo Casals' Gofriller cello. Generally, he used excellent materials, often incorporating locally sourced pine in the fronts, although it was of fine structure. He produced over 300 violins, violas, cellos, and basses, all well-appreciated. He authored Instructions on Fiddle-making (Cassel). His instruments were numbered internally on a small label near the upper block, and those made in the last years in Wakefield were relabelled as from Glasgow. Read Less

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