Arthur Edward Smith

Violin maker
(1880 – 1978)

Arthur Edward Smith (1880–1978), generally known as A. E. Smith, was an English-born violin maker who became the most important figure in the development of professional violin making in Australia. Born in London, he was initially trained in engineering and worked as a draughtsman, but his interest in violin making developed through playing in the Maldon Amateur Orchestral Society. Largely self-taught, ...Read More he studied the work of Stradivari through the Hill brothers’ publications and began making instruments in his spare time. By 1905 his ability had attracted the attention of the musical instrument dealer C. W. Jeffreys, for whom he worked as a repairer and violin maker.

Smith emigrated to Australia in 1909, first settling in Melbourne. Between 1912 and 1914 he worked with Carl Rothhammer in San Francisco before returning to Australia and establishing himself in Sydney. In 1919 he founded A. E. Smith & Co. Ltd in Hunter Street, which became one of Australia's most important centres for the making, restoration and sale of stringed instruments. The workshop also provided training for a generation of Australian makers and played an important role in supporting the rapidly developing professional musical life of Sydney.

Smith worked predominantly from classical Cremonese models, especially Stradivari, though he also studied important Italian instruments that passed through his workshop and adapted his models accordingly. His instruments are characterized by controlled, precise workmanship, carefully considered arching and finely cut scrolls. He paid particular attention to varnish, producing his own recipes in shades ranging from golden-orange to deep red. His violas have achieved an especially strong reputation, although his violins are also highly regarded. Over the course of his career he produced approximately 170 violins, 40 violas and a small number of cellos.

His reputation extended well beyond Australia. Musicians including Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Tossy Spivakovsky, Ruggiero Ricci and David Oistrakh visited his workshop, and several prominent players owned or used his instruments. In 1949 Smith received diplomas of honour for both violin and viola at the International Exhibition of Violin Makers in The Hague, and the following year he became the first Australian elected to the international association of master violin and bow makers. He was appointed MBE in 1971.

Smith continued working into advanced age and died in Canberra in 1978. His daughter Kitty Smith succeeded him both as a maker and in the management of the family firm. Through his own instruments, his workshop and the craftsmen he trained, A. E. Smith established a distinctly Australian tradition of professional violin making and remains its most celebrated representative. A quartet of his instruments is preserved in the National Museum of Australia. Read Less

Price History

- The auction record for this maker is $84,000 in May 2017, for a violin.
- 12 auction price results.

View all auction prices for Arthur Edward Smith

FULL SIZE