Chin Rest

[Alan Lloyd]

Fellow Fiddlers

I recently saw a violin in the Ford's Theatre museum, said to have been played on the fateful day.
It has a narrow chin rest. Has anyone seen pictures of this kind of chin rest on wartime fiddles?

[eric marten]

I have never seen anything like that, and I've been studying this area for over twenty years, so my GUESS is, it is not period. All of my sources tell me that Louis Spohr's invention of the chin rest was very slow to be accepted in Europe - and not common until the end of the 19th century - I've never seen any photos, drawings, or paintings of violins in America with chin rests before almost the twentieth century. Incidentally, two prominent violinists/teachers who wrote extensively during the 19th century suggested putting some type of small pad on one's chest/shoulder, beneath the vest, for more comfort - Ferdinad David (1845) and Pierre Marie Francois deSales Baillot (1835). This would be the exception, and really not necessary, especially for fiddle tunes that rarely go above first position.
Also, my contention is, that even if one were to find some really unique, rare exception to the rule (and I don't believe this is one), that that would not be the best one to emulate or portray. The norm of the time would be the best model to portray. But, again, I haven't seen such a chin rest anywhere else. Perhaps it was added later to this particular violin, and it doesn't seem to show up on any others.