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James Tubbs (1835-1921)

James Tubbs Rumored to have made over five thousand bows during his career, James Tubbs’ (1835-1921) output stands as some of the best bows of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, rivaling even his most celebrated French contemporaries. Tubbs apprenticed under his father, William Tubbs, before opening his own studio in the 1850s. Around 1858, Tubbs began a collaboration with William Ebsworth Hill, but he was never formally employed by the W.E. Hill firm. The relationship proved rocky, and by 1870, Tubbs stopped producing bows for Hill. In fact, Tubbs was so upset with his former collaborator that whenever he found a bow he had made for the Hill brand, he would re-stamp it with his own: “J. Tubbs” or “Jas Tubbs.” Tubbs’ bows are so exceptional that they were widely copied during his own time, even by the illustrious Pfretszchner and Bazin families. Today, they remain highly valued by both performers and collectors.