Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1734, the 'Ames, Totenberg'
Violin: 40545
Bearing its original label.
Back: One-piece, with the flames running vertically
Varnish: Rich red
Length of back: 35.8 cm
Upper bouts: 16.8 cm
Middle bouts: 11.3 cm
Lower bouts: 20.9 cm
There are 3 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Notes:
Dated 1730.Stradivarius-Guarnerius del Gesù: Catalogue descriptif de leurs instruments, Charles-Eugène Gand, Stradivarius-Guarnerius del Gesù: Catalogue descriptif de leurs instruments (Facsimile of Gand's notes from 1870-91), Spa
"For forty years, he owned the 'Ames' Strad, an exceptionally fine 1734 example of the master's art. The 'Ames' was stolen from the director's office at Longy in 1981 following a recital Totenberg played to honour the retiring Wolfe Wolfinsohn."
Legacy of Experience, James Forrest, The Strad, July, 1987, London
Recovered in 2015. It is believed that the violin was stolen by Phillip Johnson and hidden from public view for over 35 years.
A Rarity Reclaimed: Stolen Stradivarius Recovered After 35 Years
"...Rare Violins In Consortium, a way for wealthy patrons of the arts to acquire string instruments and then lend them out to promising young musicians for years at a time [...] My father's violin will go first to 18-year-old Nathan Meltzer..."
The Tale Of The Stolen Totenberg Stradivarius Ends With A New Legacy, Nina Totenberg, NPR article, October 9, 2018
Provenance
| until 1870 | Baron de Tremont |
| 1870-1879 | Charles Hermann |
| in 1879 | Gand & Bernardel, Freres |
| 1879-1885 | Caspar Gottlieb Meier |
| in 1885 | Sold by George Hart |
| from 1885 | George Ames |
| 1886-1893 | George Acland |
| in 1893 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| in 1893 | Sold by Puttick & Simpson |
| from 1893 | Pickering Phipps |
| until 1905 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| from 1905 | Baron von Donop |
| Sold by Hamma & Co. | |
| until 1916 | Ernst Kessler |
| ... | ... |
| 1924-1925 | Emil Herrmann, New York |
| from 1925 | Leslie W. Brown |
| Wurlitzer | |
| 1941-1980 | Roman Totenberg |
| 1980-2015 | Reported stolen |
| 2015-2018 | Totenberg Family |
| from 2018 | Rare Violins In Consortium, New York |
Known players
Irving Lashinsky, Nathan Meltzer, Roman Totenberg
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1936)- Certificate: Ernst Kessler, Berlin (1916)
- Certificate: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY
Cozio holds copies of many certificates and other documents, some of which are available to view on request. Please contact us if you wish to view a particular document. (Note that we do not always have permission to share documents.)
References
A Rarity Reclaimed: Stolen Stradivarius Recovered After 35 Years- Antonio Stradivari and His Instruments, 1961
- Antonio Stradivari: His Life & Work (1644-1737), W. Henry, Arthur F. & Alfred E. Hill, William E. Hill & Sons, London, 1902
How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Doring, Bein & Fushi, Bein & Fushi, Chicago, 1999 (illustrated)- The Strad, July, 1987, James Forrest, London
- Rare Violins in the Possession of Emil Herrmann: 1926-7, Emil Herrmann, Berlin (illustrated)
- Stradivarius-Guarnerius del Gesù: Catalogue descriptif de leurs instruments (Facsimile of Gand's notes from 1870-91), Charles-Eugène Gand, Les Amis de la Musique, Spa
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Box 43 (illustrated)
- The Stradivari Memorial (1977), William Dana Orcutt, Da Capo Press, New York (illustrated)
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY (illustrated)
- The Violin: Its Famous Makers and their Imitators, George Hart, Dulau & Co., London (illustrated)