Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin père

Mirecourt-born luthier Charles Jean-Baptiste Collin-Mézin père (1841-1923) apprenticed under his father, Claude-Nicole Collin. Collin-Mézin’s early career saw him leaving his hometown for other ventures, including working in Paris (1858-1861) and at his father’s former employer, Nicholas François Vuillaume’s, Brussels workshop (1862-1864); however, he maintained a connection to Mirecourt and returned periodically. Continue Reading…

Collin-Mézin established a Parisian atelier on the rue du Faubourg Poissonnière in 1867. Although his business initially struggled, he gained a strong reputation as a restorer and creator of high quality violins and bows. His clients included some of the most famous players of his day–Joseph Joachim, Camillo Sivori, Marie Tayau, and Lambert Massart–and he trained his son, Charles Collin-Mézin fils, who took over the workshop after his father’s death. Collin-Mézin’s violins won gold and silver medals at the 1878, 1889, and 1900 Parisian Exhibitions; he was so proud of these achievements that he labeled later instruments with Grand Prix.

Collin-Mézin’s violins are known for their robust, brilliant tone quality and the unique, yellow-brown varnish that Collin-Mézin developed himself. In his early years, Collin-Mézin favored larger, Mirecourt-influenced models, but after establishing his own workshop, he focused on models by Cremonese masters like Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari. Very brand conscious, Collin-Mézin often signed his instruments himself on the inside back in addition to affixing a label. Today, Collin-Mézin’s instruments are highly prized by performers and collectors alike; jazz violinist Scott Tixier famously favors an 1889 Collin-Mézin.