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W.E. Hill & Sons

W.E. Hill & Sons was established by William Ebsworth Hill in 1880 and moved to New Bond Street in London’s West End in 1882. The bow making workshop was in Hanwell in West London and employed many of the great names of English bow making, including Samuel Allen, Bill Retford and Sidney Yeoman. Retford worked at Hills for 64 years, training more than one generation in the Hill bow making style, including Arthur Bultitude and Bill Watson. The Hill style, based on Tourte’s violin bows and Voirin’s cello bows, was rigorously enforced, and resulted in a very consistent output, yet with a broad range of styles, from engraved gold & tortoiseshell ‘Fleur-de-Lys’ to plain ebony frogs mounted in silver.

The Bond Street shop was closed in the 1970s and the business moved to Great Missenden, where it continued until 1992.

W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1880-1992)

W.E. Hill & Sons was established by William Ebsworth Hill in 1880 and moved to New Bond Street in London’s West End in 1882. The bow making workshop was in Hanwell in West London and employed many of the great names of English bow making, including Samuel Allen, Bill Retford and Sidney Yeoman. Retford worked at Hills for 64 years, training more than one generation in the Hill bow making style, including Arthur Bultitude and Bill Watson. The Hill style, based on Tourte’s violin bows and Voirin’s cello bows, was rigorously enforced, and resulted in a very consistent output, yet... Read more

Instruments for sale in our March 2025 Auction

Lot 47

Ex-David Hill

A violin in the white by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, possibly 1956

£1,000-2,000

GBP£1,000.00 - £2,000.00
EUR€1,210.00 - €2,420.00
AUD$1,990.00 - $3,980.00
JPY¥188,890.00 - ¥377,780.00
KRW₩1,817,200.00 - ₩3,634,400.00
CHFCHF1,140.00 - CHF2,280.00
USD$1,270.00 - $2,540.00

Lot 129

Ex-Dorothy Fellows

A silver-mounted cello bow by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, 1933

£2,000-3,000

GBP£2,000.00 - £3,000.00
EUR€2,420.00 - €3,630.00
AUD$3,980.00 - $5,970.00
JPY¥377,780.00 - ¥566,670.00
KRW₩3,634,400.00 - ₩5,451,600.00
CHFCHF2,280.00 - CHF3,420.00
USD$2,540.00 - $3,810.00

Lot 130

Ex-Dorothy Fellows

A silver-mounted cello bow by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, 1936

£2,000-3,000

GBP£2,000.00 - £3,000.00
EUR€2,420.00 - €3,630.00
AUD$3,980.00 - $5,970.00
JPY¥377,780.00 - ¥566,670.00
KRW₩3,634,400.00 - ₩5,451,600.00
CHFCHF2,280.00 - CHF3,420.00
USD$2,540.00 - $3,810.00

Lot 150

A silver-mounted violin bow by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, circa 1920

£3,000-5,000

GBP£3,000.00 - £5,000.00
EUR€3,630.00 - €6,050.00
AUD$5,970.00 - $9,950.00
JPY¥566,670.00 - ¥944,450.00
KRW₩5,451,600.00 - ₩9,086,000.00
CHFCHF3,420.00 - CHF5,700.00
USD$3,810.00 - $6,350.00

Lot 151

A silver-mounted violin bow by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, 1939

£1,800-2,500

GBP£1,800.00 - £2,500.00
EUR€2,178.00 - €3,025.00
AUD$3,582.00 - $4,975.00
JPY¥340,002.00 - ¥472,225.00
KRW₩3,270,960.00 - ₩4,543,000.00
CHFCHF2,052.00 - CHF2,850.00
USD$2,286.00 - $3,175.00

Lot 182

A silver-mounted viola bow by W.E. Hill & Sons

(fl London, 1887-1992)

London, 1949

£3,000-5,000

GBP£3,000.00 - £5,000.00
EUR€3,630.00 - €6,050.00
AUD$5,970.00 - $9,950.00
JPY¥566,670.00 - ¥944,450.00
KRW₩5,451,600.00 - ₩9,086,000.00
CHFCHF3,420.00 - CHF5,700.00
USD$3,810.00 - $6,350.00

Instruments we have sold by this maker

Articles

A History of the Hill Family in 44 Lots

20 February 2025 - Dilworth, John

Our auction on 25th March will include a collection of memorabilia from W.E. Hill & Sons. John Dilworth charts the history of this important and influential English family of violin makers, dealers, and experts.

Looking to Buy or Sell an Instrument by this Maker?

Selling with Ingles & Hayday

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Buying at Ingles & Hayday

Tim Ingles and Paul Hayday will offer an initial evaluation of the authenticity and value of your instrument or bow to recommend an auction estimate and reserve price.

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Written Valuations & Certificates

Tim Ingles and Paul Hayday will offer an initial evaluation of the authenticity and value of your instrument or bow. At this stage, the assessment is free and without obligation. In the first instance, we suggest submitting good-quality images to us, preferably by email to info@ingleshayday.com or by completing the valuation form.

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    Buying at Ingles & Hayday

    We hold two auctions a year at Sotheby’s in London, generally in March and October. We also have a selection of instruments and bows for private sale all year round. Please contact us for more information.

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