Carl Fredrick Becker

Carl Fredrick Becker (also known as Carl F. Becker and Carl Becker Jr.) (1919 – January 30, 2013) was an American luthier and restorer, known for restoring the “Lady Blunt” 1721 Stradivarius violin. He had the reputation of “one of America's finest violin makers”[6][7] and “the dean of American violin-making”.[8]

For other people named Carl Becker, see Carl Becker (disambiguation).
Carl Fredrick Becker
Born
Carl Fredrick Becker

1919 (1919)
Chicago (Illinois), United States
Died(2013-01-30)January 30, 2013
Park Ridge (Illinois), United States[1]
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLuthier
Years active1937 - 2013
Spouse(s)Geraldine Smetana[2]
Children

Carl F. Becker was a founding member of both the International Association of Violin and Bow Makers (Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers)[5][9] and the American Federation of Violin and Bowmakers.[10] Several important American luthiers trained under his guidance including Peter Beare, Eric Benning (of Benning Violins), Charles Rufino, Sebastian Zens and Samuel Zygmuntowicz.[11]

Biography

Carl F. Becker was born in the family of Carl G. Becker in 1919[5] in Chicago.[1] He started apprenticing with his father at age 16, while still at school, making cello ribs.[5] After graduating from high school in 1937[2] he worked for William Lewis & Son Co. under his father’s supervision.

In 1941 Carl Becker was called into the military service and joined United States Air Force where became a trainer of other pilots, finishing his military career at the rank of Major.[5][2] After World War II ended, he continued the family tradition of violin-making.[5]

From 1946 to 1968 Carl Jr. worked with his father for William Lewis & Son.[2] The Strad magazine reports that the couple made their first “Carl Becker and Son” violin in 1948[11] however it wasn’t until the 1968 when they opened their own shop in a multi-level building on Belmont St. in Chicago that served as the family's shop as well as their home.[5] Their shop was offering new instruments, valuable old Italian instruments as well as repair and restoration services.[7] With the few exceptions, all “Carl Becker and Son” violins constructed between 1946 and 1975 were made jointly by father and son who divided the labor (Carl Sr. was responsible for the arching, while Carl Jr. did the carving of neck and scroll).[12] Together they made over 500 instruments.[7]

After the death of his father in 1975 Carl Jr. made by himself only 13 instruments.[7][1] Much of his violin-making happened at the secluded cabin in Wisconsin by Lake Pickerel, where he worked in a studio over the garage and practiced muskie fishing.[5][7] His time in Chicago was devoted to repairing and restoring violins.[5] During 1970 and 1971 Carl Becker Jr. restored the famous “Lady Blunt” 1721 Stradivarius violin[1][13] for Tarisio Auctions.[14] Shortly after that, the violin sold at an auction for the record amount of $201 000.[13]

Carl F. Becker's children, Jennifer and Paul, continued the family tradition of violin making. Jennifer started her first violin in 1966, at age 11 and completed it at age 15. In 1970 (at the age of 16) she joined the company full-time.[13][15] In 1978 she moved to Minneapolis and started her own violin making business.[15] Paul Becker joined the company in 1971 at the age of 14.[16] He is the current owner of “Carl Becker and Son”.[1]

Carl Becker died on January 2013 at the age of 93.[1]

References
  1. Graydon Megan (2013-02-04). "Carl F. Becker, 1919-2013: maker of violins, violas and cellos". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  2. "Our Legacy". Carl Becker & Son. Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  3. Emily T. Lane (2017-01-11). "Investing in Rare Violins". elanfineinstruments.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  4. "Lookout". People. 1974-04-22. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  5. Laurie Niles (2013-02-03). "Master Violin Maker Carl Fredrick Becker (1919-2013): a Tribute". Violinist.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  6. Richard Weir (1998-11-08). "Ode to a Violin And the Man Who Made It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  7. Stephen Miller (2013-02-08). "Master of Chicago Family's Violin-Making Tradition". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  8. Laurie Niles (2016-11-15). "Christopher Germain talks about The American Violin, then and now". Violinist.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  9. "In Memoriam". Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  10. "In Memoriam". American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  11. "Chicago-based violin maker and restorer had a 75-year career". The Strad. 2013-01-31. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  12. Ellen S. Freilich (1981-11-01). "Virtuosos play new instruments, too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  13. "Carl Becker and Son: The Instruments and the Family". maestronet.com. 1991. Archived from the original on 1998-02-01. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  14. Lester Jacobson (2016). "How I Came to Play the World's Most Expensive Violin". lesterjacobson.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  15. "About Us and the Family Business". jenniferbeckerviolins.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  16. "About us". Carl Becker & Son. Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
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