Jean Baptiste Vuillame Viola: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This viola was made by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume in Paris, France, in 1870. It is viola, Vuillaume #2811, with a two-piece table of spruce with medium grain widening to the flanks, two-piece back of quarter cut maple with narrow flame ascending from the center joint, ribs are of maple with broad flame and the head is of maple with narrow flame, and golden brown varnish. There is an original label inside the instrument:

The French violin maker and dealer Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875) dominated the violin trade in the middle of the 19th century. Born in Mirecourt, a small town in the Vosges famous for its production of lace and violins, he established his workshops in Paris where his marketing genius flourished. In the traditions of the Amatis, Vuillaume was an innovator, making major contributions in bowmaking, mass-marketing, and dealing in old instruments. In addition to his Octobasse, a giant double bass, he created a specially shaped contralto viola, an automatic violin mute, and machines and clever gadgets to apply to his work. He gained great skills in imitating fine old Italian violins, and as he engaged a large number of assistants, his new instruments could be offered through volume sales. As the Vuillaume imitations became more accurate and impressive, he became the leading shop in Paris, and the first violin shop in Europe to be conducting business in every country.

His instruments are true copies rather than fakes, and all bear Vuillaume's own label. This is remarkable in that there were over 2000 of the best quality instruments, all supervised and varnished by Jean-Baptiste himself.

Vuillaume's influence on violin and bow makers was felt all across France. His astute business sense in appealing to a new democratic marketplace of both exclusive buyers and mass consumers is felt in the violin trade today. J.B. Vuillaume's mastery of the Cremonese traditions, combined with sustaining the mystique of the violin, guaranteed the production of immensely successful instruments and his legendary reputation as a dealer in fine old instruments.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1870
• maker: Vuillaume, Jean Baptiste
• Object Name: viola
• Physical Description: spruce (overall material)
• Physical Description: maple (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 411 mm x 238 mm; 16 3/16 in x 9 3/8 in
• Measurements: overall: 26 3/4 in x 9 1/2 in x 4 in; 67.945 cm x 24.13 cm x 10.16 cm
• place made: France: Île-de-France, Paris
• ID Number: 2002.0074.03
• accession number: 2002.0074
• catalog number: 2002.0074.03
• Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn and Herbert R. Axelrod
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.