Louis Lowendall (1836 - D.D.) studied cello in his youth and began one of the most illustrious careers in the trade innocuously, as a purveyor of instruments ferried from one metropolis to another in small numbers such that he could carry them himself. He learned not only violin and bow making from Bausch in Leipzig and Heinrich Knopf in Berlin but also how to establish a process to comlete work quickly and with consistency. In 1855, He established the Lowendall Star Works in Berlin, producing voluminous numbers of instruments for export before reaching 20 years of age. In 1867, he established a branch in the United States and in 1873 he expanded into Dresden, from which point he also marketed tone-wood and finer antique instruments. In 1889, his company assumed a large building in Berlin at Reichenberger Strasse. He is known for his business acumen and personable relationships, collaborating with figures such Joseph Joachim as George Gemunder in the United States. Lowendall produced instruments at several workshops and also bought out inventory from others for export. 

This attractive German violin from Lowendall’s “Star Works” was manufactured in one of his facilities during his tenure in Dresden, approximately between 1773 and 1889 and delivers a mature, characteristically sweet voice that at once demonstrates both ample clarity and precise response. The one piece back is particularly striking.