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Adele Beardsmore is an English violin maker and repairer who graduated from the Newark School of Violin Making in 1987 and was awarded the Ralph Oakden Cup for outstanding achievement. She worked in various locations in England and The Netherlands before moving to Australia in 1994. Adele Beardsmore has over twenty years experience in violin making and restoration and is now regarded as one of the finest makers of new instruments in Australia.
Alan Coggins is a violin maker and writer who lives in the Blue Mountains, near Sydney, Australia. He has written on various aspects of the craft and has been a regular contributor to the The Strad magazine since 2003.
After seven years of research and documentation, Alan's book, Violin and Bow Makers of Australia, was finally published in 2009. This reference work is now the definitive authority on Australian violin making and includes over 500 biographical entries along with 282 high-quality instrument photographs.
"...more than an important historical document of every person who ever made a violin in Australia... it's also a good read, with photos so sharp you feel like you could reach into the flame of a maple back"
Erin Shrader, review in Strings Magazine (US), June 2010.
"...engagingly and entertainingly written. Many readers, especially those living and working in East Asia, may well be advised to keep a copy close to their benches"
Philip Kass, review in The Strad (UK), March 2010.
All images © Alan Coggins.