Joseph Henry (1823-1870)

Born to a Mirecourt winemaker and luthier, Joseph Henry received the bulk of his bow-making training in Paris. He moved to the capital at the tender age of fourteen to apprentice under luthier Georges Chanot. Henry honed his craft under Chanot, who like his colleague, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, was not a bow maker but thoroughly appreciated the craft of bow making. After Henry left Chanot to work for Dominique Peccatte, he truly came into his own as an archetier and developed a mature style influenced by Peccatte’s robust models. Henry and Peccatte also collaborated together on several fine bows.

When in 1847 Peccatte returned to his hometown of Mirecourt, Henry opened a workshop with Pierre Simon, and his bows from this period are branded with Simon’s label. However, by 1851, the collaboration had soured and Henry had returned to Mirecourt to go into business for himself. It is thought he may have provided some bows for Jean Baptiste Vuillaume’s workshop, and in 1855, he crafted a series of beautiful tortoiseshell-mounted bows with decorative floral patterns for Gand frères. Henry seems to have never hired any assistants, but his move back to Paris shortly before his premature death at forty-six might hint at ambitions to expand his business.

As an independent archetier, Henry produced exquisite bows that are still highly sought after by modern players.