Nürnberger, Franz Albert jun. Hybrid Violin Bow–Markneukirchen circa 1918-1925 – CURRENTLY OUT ON TRIAL –

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Stick Stamped:

I call this stick a hybrid since it has both a Nürnberger stick and a Pfretzschner frog.

Franz Albert Nürnberger jun. (1854-1931) learned bow making from his father Franz Albert Nürnberger Sr. He was one of those who signed the founding document of the Markneukirchen bow maker’s guild in 1888. This town was the German hub of violin making and bow making. Franz Albert jun. took over the management of the family workshop after his father’s death in 1894. Around 1890 he began stamping his bows with the ALBERT NÜRNBERGER stamp, no stars. Franz went the typical direction for a young man in the bow making trade, learning from a family member at a young age. He was, I’m sure, around the bow works and family workshop from an early age, probably beginning in the family workshop as early as 10 years old. By the late 1800’s the Nürnberger family was well known and truly famous for their bow making and artists from all over the world sought out their sticks. The earlier bows made by Franz Albert have a different font and many were made and delivered to other German shops like the R. Weichold and Hammig workshops.

Our bow is from his later period of making, around 1918-1925. During this period, he changed the stamp to *ALBERT NÜRNBERGER *. This stamp with the stars was still in use in the Nürnberger workshop up to 1960. The bow is influenced by his father’s model. The head has an upright erect feel with a slightly elongated nose. The facets are well thought out and the edges are slightly rounded. The frog is an H. R. Pfretzschner frog from the 1920’s period with the H.R. Pfretzschner traditional Saxon royal coat of arms stamped on the frog. The frog model remains true to the classic model made in Markneukirchen at the turn of the century but is not original to this bow. I left the frog and endscrew because it works well and that is how I found the bow. The silver lining is secured to the frog with two nickel silver screws. The frog has a two-piece heel with a straight silver throat to the heel on the back of the frog. The three piece endscrew has turns on the collar and is finished on the end with a white abalone pearl. The pernambuco stick is truly a fine *ALBERT NÜRNBERGER* made bow in very good condition and has nice strength and flex. I would have loved to see the family’s wood stockpile inventory in Markneukirchen. The wood pile must have been awesome! This piece of wood could be 150 years old. The bow is pernambuco specie, octagonal section, and the frog and winding (not original to this bow) are finished in sterling silver mounts. I have meticulously gone over the bow, giving a new tip facial and a new silver winding with a leather thumb. It is a great stick from a historical bow making family and very interesting bow with the hybrid addition of a real H.R. Pfretzschner frog and end button. I love the playability of the bow. Don’t count this bow out. It handles better than well and is priced to sell.

Weight fully haired 58.2 grams