Mssrs Bird & Sons
This is the same Card I spoke of from the English DB Thread I made here and at TB on the English School makers. Unfortunately, The Varnish over the Card has fused with the Ink lettering on the Card as well and a restoration of the Card itself is nearly impossible. Removing the Varnish also removes the Ink. I cleaned it up slightly myself but stopped when I saw some of the lettering starting to fade. I was actually able to read more than before but some of the letters are just not there at all from before. The best thing to do at this point is make a replica of the card and put both of them in the Bass. One being the original and one legible that can be seen easily. I might omit the lines that cannot be read and just put what is most important from the complete lines.
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Laminated to the bottom Rib at the tail-block is a business card/label under the Varnish. This is actually a separate piece grafted/spliced wood to the bottom Ribs at the Block and looks to be a very old repair. The business card is under some very dark varnish and hard to read but seems to say;
__________________________________________________ ______
MESSRS. BIRD & SONS
GF - H - - - - - - - - - - - - dios, (?)
56 Berwick St. 1 Door from Oxford St.
for instructions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (?)
G - - n - -THE Dou- - - (?)
50 Double Basses on Sale from 8 to 100 guineas
The Double Bass and 40 Music Stands can be had on hire
Professional Gentlemen have a double bass at a moderate price
(Partial Reproduction from Original Card attached by TailBlock, c.1890)
__________________________________________________ ______
I was telling this to Duane Rosengard and just as he responded to the news of the "J.HART" stamps he told me how rare a find this was. 'Olde' Bird as he was known had personally introduced Samuel Allen (19th century English Bow maker) to W.E. Hill himself! Allen became one of Hill's top Bow makers. Bird was a 19th century dealer and connoisseur of fine Double Basses in the 19th century.
This Bass was apparently at one time in the hands of 'Bird & Sons' as the outer laminated label/card suggests.
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