The Tom Taylor Stradivarius is an antique

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

made by renowned

luthier A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments. Etymology The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...

Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...

, Italy, circa 1732. Its namesake is British art critic

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of Punch (magazine), ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literatu ...

. Taylor was married to its onetime owner, violinist and composer Laura Wilson Taylor née Barker (1819–1905), who had been presented with the instrument by

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Thomas Perronet Thompson Thomas Perronet Thompson (15 March 1783 – 6 September 1869) was a British Parliamentarian, a governor of Sierra Leone and a radical reformer. He became prominent in 1830s and 1840s as a leading activist in the Anti-Corn Law League. He speci ...

during her youth. It is best known for its use in the recording and appearance in the Canadian film ''

The Red Violin ''The Red Violin'' () is a 1998 anthology Drama (film and television), drama film directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi and Sylvia Chang. It spans four centuries and five countries telling the story of a myster ...

'' (though the film actually tells the tale of the "Red Mendelssohn"

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

, which has been owned by American violinist

Elizabeth Pitcairn Elizabeth Pitcairn (born December 5, 1973) is a renowned American classical violinist who is noted for performing on the 1720 ''Red Mendelssohn'' Antonio Stradivari violin. In addition to a solo career, she is the President and Artistic Director ...

since 1990). The Tom Taylor was played by

Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He is currently music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Early life and education Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, one of four children of ...

, who later sold it for $2 million to pay for his current instrument: the

Gibson Stradivarius The ''Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius'' of 1713 is an antique violin made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The ''Gibson'', while owned by Bronisław Huberman, was stolen twice. The first time it was returned shortly afterwards. The second theft, ...

. The current owner is unknown. access date 2013-10-14 The Tom Taylor was previously owned by

Patricia Travers Patricia Travers (December 5, 1927 – February 9, 2010) was an American violin child prodigy and actress who withdrew from public performances at age 23. She lived in Clifton, New Jersey, her entire life. Career Travers began violin lessons at a ...

(from 1938 to 1954, which was sold to a benefactor who loaned it to

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

References

1732 works Stradivari violins {{violin-stub