3 mins
WILLIAM FERGUSON
IN FOCUS
A close look at the work of great and unusual makers
William Ferguson was one of Edinburgh’s earliest violin makers. Born in the city in 1769, he made his first known works around 1804. These include violins and violas, which appear strongly influenced by the work of Matthew Hardie. Stylistic comparisons would make it most probable that the two men had collaborated before that time.
Ferguson’s shop is listed in the Edinburgh Postal Directories between 1809 and 1816 as ‘William Ferguson Musical Instrument Maker St. Marys Wynd’. Over these seven years there is variation in Ferguson’s output: the workmanship on occasion can appear looser and the varnish application ranges from a thin yellow spirit recipe to more deeply textured, orange-coloured examples. These variations in style can perhaps be put down to several hands being employed in the business. These would include William’s cousin and apprentice George Ferguson, born in 1786, and an unnamed son who is referred to in an inscription ‘Ferguson & Son Makers Edinburgh’, found in a viola dated 1815.
MATERIALS
The two-piece quarter-sawn back is marked with an irregular figure, with ribs of a mixed cut. The head is of plainer timber which makes for easier carving, a common feature of old Italian work.
FORM AND CONSTRUCTION
Evidence suggests that moulds were not used by Ferguson and the Edinburgh school in general. Rather, an untapered rib garland was built directly on to the back, and scribe lines were made to indicate the position of the blocks. Unusually, the interior of this example is scarred with toothed plane working; other examples have smooth interiors.
ARCHING
The arching compares favourably with that of other 19th-century Edinburgh instruments, being relatively low, rising subtly from the end-blocks. The transverse arching is full to the edges, rising slowly from the shallow edgework.
F-HOLES
Typical of Ferguson’s work, the open cut, curved stems and wide notches of the f-holes may have been influenced by the once-popular Stainer model. However, the heavy winter growth of the spruce on this example clearly deflected the maker’s knife cuts, resulting in faceting around the finials and no doubt a few expletives!
PURFLING
The ‘white’ appears to be made from slab-cut sycamore with the ‘black’ of ebony. The mitre points terminate close to the ends of the narrow corners. There are a few deviations in channel width, suggesting some haste in working.
SCROLL
The scroll is perhaps workmanlike but decently carved, and possessing neatly worked volutes, the wide and even chamfers consistent from the throat into the eyes.
VARNISH
An unbroken layer of light orangecoloured varnish covers the instrument. It is thinly applied over a yellow ground, very possibly a spirit-based recipe having a fine glow and bringing out the best in these modest cuts of timber.
1807 VIOLIN PHOTOS NOAH SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY. ALL OTHER IMAGES DAVID RATTRAY
• MAKER WILLIAM FERGUSON
• NATIONALITY SCOTTISH
• BORN 1769
• DIED UNKNOWN
• INSTRUMENT VIOLIN
• DATE 1807
All measurements taken with a tape measure
1. William Ferguson’s finely crafted viola of 1804, the form with its flattened curves across upper and lower blocks, the design close to a Matthew Hardie viola patten (example RCM collection).
2. The inscription inside this 1815 Ferguson viola reads: ‘Made on the day of the news arriving of Wellingtons glorious victory over Bonaparte 18th June 1815 in the Netherlands near Brussels. Ferguson & Son Makers Edinburgh’ This instrument remains in remarkable condition, complete in all original parts, the form reminiscent to a small Landolfi viola pattern.
3. This 1815 violin with Ferguson’s label strongly shows the hand of John Blair. Starks Directory from at least 1806 lists Blair and another Edinburgh violin maker, Robert Ballantyne, at the same address (8 Potterrow), so clearly there were alliances between Edinburgh luthiers.
Thanks to the violin’s owner, Tim Macdonald