Images from The Rawlins Gallery Violin, The Harrison, by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1693 Note: Click on any major structural area of the instrument to see a close-up of that area. NMM 3598. Violin, The Harrison, by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1693.  Ex colls.: Richard Harrison, London; Henry Hottinger, New York; Kyung-Wha Chung, London. Rawlins Fund, 1984. Called the greatest concert violin built before 1700, it is one of but half a dozen Strads to survive with its original neck. "Modernized" probably early in the 19th century, when Italian instruments became the preferred standard, as performing venues got larger. Nicknamed The Harrison after Richard Harrison, an English solicitor and amateur musician who owned the instrument in the 19th-century; he, like many of his colleagues, played string quartets in his home on Sunday afternoons. The instrument can be heard on modern recordings by Kyung-Wha Chung, the great Korean violinist. What does The Harrison violin sound like? Listen to musical excerpts from a live performance by Eugene Fodor in Vermillion, April 6, 2002. Fugue from Sonata No. 1 in g minor, BWV 1001 by J. S. Bach Caprice No. 2, from Four Caprices, Opus 1, by Niccolo Paganini Allegro, from The Four Seasons: Spring by Antonio Vivaldi Largo, from The Four Seasons: Spring by Antonio Vivaldi Allegro, from The Four Seasons: Spring by Antonio Vivaldi Soundholes Note: Click on image above to see a larger image of the soundholes. Shown in color as the frontispiece of the standard biography, Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work (1644-1737), published in 1902 by William E. Hill & Sons of London, it was one of 44 instruments chosen to be shown at the international exhibition held in Cremona in 1987 to mark the 250th anniversary of Stradivari's death. Pegbox and Scroll Views Note: Click on images above to see larger images of the pegbox. Note: Click on images above to see larger images of the pegbox. Neck Heel Views   Bass side Back, bass side Back Back, treble side Treble side Note: Click on images or text above to see larger images of the neck heel area. The Harrison is one of only a handful of Stradivari violins that survive with its original neck, blocked out at the base of the neck, with oxidation showing from the three original nails, as can be seen the photos above Click here to access an index of all available digital images of this instrument.   Click arrow to continue Rawlins Gallery Tour Go to Rawlins Gallery Tour Index Go to Virtual Tour Index Postcard featuring this violin available from Gift Shop If you think you have a Stradivari violin, please read this information before contacting the Museum. Related Links Individual Instruments King Charles IV Violin Bow Attributed to Stradivari Workshop, Cremona, ca. 1700 Guitar, The Rawlins, by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1700 Mandolin, The Cutler-Challen, by Stradivari, Cremona, 1680 Bass Viola da Gamba, Stradivari Workshop, Cremona, ca. 1730 (Violoncello Conversion ca. 1835-1850) Checklists Checklist of Bowed Stringed Instruments Made Before 1800 Checklist of 16th- and 17th-Century Instruments National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD 57069 ©National Music Museum, 2005-2008 Most recent update: April 15, 2008 You are the 32,644th visitor to this page since May 13, 2005. There were 84,548 visitors to this page between September 1996 and May 13, 2005. The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page