Charles Louis Bazin – Bow Maker (1881 – 1953)
The son of famed Mirecourt archetier Charles Nicolas Bazin, Charles Louis Bazin (1881-1953) grew up steeped in the family business. Bazin trained under his father, eventually taking over the atelier in 1907 at the age of twenty-six. World War I briefly paused Bazin’s business; he was called to serve in the infantry, and the war brought significant staff changes within the workshop.
Despite this upheaval, Bazin truly developed his individual style during the post-war years. He built off his father’s model to create a more robust bow marked by round sticks, a keen attention to detail, and exceptional playability. Bazin’s bows are considered among the best of his family’s impressive output.
Under Bazin’s nearly five decades of leadership, the workshop enjoyed some of its most prosperous years, producing consistently high quality bows with the “Louis Bazin” stamp, as well as for numerous Parisian firms. Starting in 1922, Bazin worked closely with his son, Charles Alfred, who eventually took over the workshop when his father retired in 1952. Bazin also played a key role in training the next generation of Mirecourt archetiers, including Jean-Claude Ouchard, Marcel Lapierre, André Granier, Arthur Husson, Jules Bontemps, Louis Dumont, and André Jacquemin.
