Henry Hottinger Collection

Hottinger Collection - formed in New York City by Henry Hottinger (4 February 1885 in New York City – 19 March 1979 in Stamford, CT).

Henry Hottinger was a founder and member of Wertheim & Co., a firm of Investment Bankers, who was also very much interested in Musical Instruments and subsequently he amassed the best-known collection of rare violins of the mid-20th century.

"He had an early interest in the violin, and bought his first Stradivari in 1935. His ambition after the war was to acquire one outstanding example of each of the old Cremonese masters, and in the case of Stradivari and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, one example from each significant period of their production. An illustrated catalogue (R. Wurlitzer: The Henry Hottinger Collection, 1967) was published following the collection's sale to Rembert Wurlitzer Co., Inc. (the most highly regarded string instrument dealership of its day). The instruments (about 30 violins in all) were subsequently dispersed all over the world." - CHARLES BEARE