Heinrich Carl Knopf (1839–1875) was a German bowmaker or bogenmacher.
Biography
Knopf came from a dynasty of bow makers. He studied bow making in Markneukirchen under his uncle, Christian Knopf.
He was a journeyman in Leipzig working for Ludwig Bausch. Upon the death of his father, Karl Wilhelm, he returned to Markneukirchen where he became his successor.[1]
He also supplied bows to German shops such as Bausch, R. Weichold and the Russian Nicolaus Kittel.[2]
"The bows (he) made for Kittel are quite different in style from the ones he supplied to the German shops."[3] — Kenway Lee
"His bows are exquisite, showing mastery in technical as well as stylistic aspects. His son, Heinrich Richard gen. Knopf (1860–1939) (known as Henry) became an excellent bow & violin maker who established what was to become a very important and successful shop in New York City (from 1879–1931)."
Auction World Record: Tarisio Berlin October 2021 Lot 80 Violin Bow Nikolai KITTEL made by Heinrich Knopf (c.1865-70) €94,400 = US$109,500
References
^*Deutsche Bogenmacher-German Bow Makers Klaus Grunke 2000
^[STRAD magazine June 2021 - Knopf Dynasty (A Tangled Web), by Gennady Filimonov]
^*VSA 14 #2 1995 Nicolaus Kittel: The Russian Tourte by Kenway Lee 183
STRAD magazine June 2021 - Knopf Dynasty (A Tangled Web), by Gennady Filimonov
Die Geigen und Lautenmacher - by Lutgendorff, Frankfurt 1922
STRAD magazine - "Nikolaus Ferder Kittel: The Russian Tourte" by Harvey and Georgeanna Whistler
Encyclopedia of the Violin - Alberto Bachmann
Roda, Joseph (1959). Bows for Musical Instruments. Chicago: W. Lewis. OCLC906667.
Vannes, Rene (1985) [1951]. Dictionnaire Universel del Luthiers (vol.3). Bruxelles: Les Amis de la musique. OCLC53749830.
