The Makers
Joseph Hel
1842 - 1902
Joseph Hel was born at 10 p.m. 07 February 1842 in Mazirot and died 14 March 1902 in Lille.
Hel was apprenticed to François Salzard in Mirecourt in the 1850s and went on to work for Sébastien Vuillaume in Paris for two years and then from 1864 to 1865 for Nicholas Darche in Aachen. Later in 1865 he moved to Lille to set up on his won account.
He mainly worked on classical Cremonese models but also occasionally produced violins after Maggini. The violin we currently have in stock, dating from 1882, is an outstanding example from Joseph’s golden period. The wood choice, artistic workmanship and beautifully textured varnish all combine to produce a violin that has investment quality coupled with a wide range and depth of tonal colour.
