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Ex-Stephens; Verdehr

A violin by Antonio Stradivari

Cremona, 1690

labelled Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1690

length of back 36.4cm.

The ‘ex-Stephens’ was sold by Hart & Son to Nathan Posner in 1925, before being bought by Alfred Stephens in 1928, after whom it is named. Stephens also owned the 1714 ‘ex-Joachim; Ma’ Stradivari, on which Joseph Joachim premiered the Brahms violin concerto. Joachim went on to teach Karl Markees, who owned the ‘ex-Markees’ Stradivari of 1701.

The ex-Stephens was lot 187 at Sotheby's in April 1987
The ex-Stephens was lot 187 at Sotheby's in April 1987

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. bought the ‘ex-Stephens’ in 1929 but only owned it for a year, selling it to Theophile Schneider in 1930. In 1946 it was sold to Dr. Harry Backwin through the New York violin dealer, Emil Hermann. Hermann is said to have been captured by Russian troops during the first world war before fleeing Russia to the US after the revolution, bringing with him a fine collection of instruments saved from the Bolsheviks.

The ‘ex-Stephens’ was sold to Dr. Backwin in 1946 and was passed to Madame Gaby-Spanoghe before it was bought from Sotheby’s in 1987 by Walter Verdher, a violinist in the Verdher Trio.

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