Bazin Family - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Bazin Family / Bazin Dynasty.

Highly esteemed family of bowmakers operating in Mirecourt, France, from around 1840 through most of the 1900s, (members of the Bazin family) produced bows in Mirecourt

Mirecourt

Mirecourt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly those of the violin family...

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The bow making dynasty began with François Bazin

François Xavier Bazin

François-Xavier Bazin was a French archetier and bow maker and was first of the Bazin dynasty.Bazin was born in Mirecourt. Notable experts suggest that he was influenced and purportedly studied with Dominique Peccatte in Paris, then established himself in Mirecourt around 1840.He was brother of...

and ended with Charles Alfred Bazin (1907 - 1987).

With the onset of "Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

", came the idea of the giant enterprise that dominated the industry until the 1960s, such as Jerome Thibouville-Lamy and Laberte-Magnie (in the musical instruments trade).
Fortunately the smaller workshop never died, and in the hands of exceptional businessmen such as Charles Nicolas Bazin and his colleague Eugene Cuniot-Hury

Eugene Cuniot-Hury

Eugene Cuniot-Hury was a French archetier / bow maker based in Mirecourt, France.Son of Pierre Cuniot who was also an archetier / bow maker...

could prove exceptional.

The Bazins found ways of increasing production, while maintaining quality.
They assembled an outstanding shop, where they not only apprenticed and employed talented bow makers, but also served as public and civic leaders in Mirecourt.

François Xavier Bazin
François Xavier Bazin
François-Xavier Bazin was a French archetier and bow maker and was first of the Bazin dynasty.Bazin was born in Mirecourt. Notable experts suggest that he was influenced and purportedly studied with Dominique Peccatte in Paris, then established himself in Mirecourt around 1840.He was brother of...

- (b. Mirecourt

Mirecourt

1824 - d. Mirecourt 1865) - was a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

Archetier

A bow maker is a person who builds, repairs, and restores ancient or modern bows for instruments of the violin family. These include violins, violas, cellos, double basses, viola d'amore, viola da gamba, etc....

/ Bow maker and was first of the Bazin dynasty.
Notable experts suggest that he was influenced and purportedly studied with Dominique Peccatte

Dominique Peccatte

Dominique Peccatte was an influential French luthier and bow maker. He was apprenticed in Mirecourt and later worked with Jean Baptiste Vuillaume....

in Paris, then established himself in Mirecourt

Mirecourt

around 1840.
He was brother of Charles-Nicolas Bazin I.

Charles-Nicolas Bazin I, (1831 - 1908) brother of François Xavier Bazin

François Xavier Bazin

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Charles Nicolas Bazin II (1847 - 1915) son of François Xavier Bazin

François Xavier Bazin

learned his art in the house of his father. Upon his father's death, he found himself at the head of the family business-indeed a hefty responsibility for a boy of 18.Two years later, he married his first cousin Jeanne-Emélie Bazin with whom he had three sons: Emile-Joseph, Gustave and Charles Louis.

He was a great craftsman and was responsible for producing a great many bows that are still in demand.
In his Mirecourt workshop, he employed some of the most famous bow makers. In the first six years of the 1900s there were between 12 and 17 makers producing some 2 000 - 3 000 quality bows a year.
The makers included: Fetique Brothers, Claude Husson, Granier, Lorange, Tournier, Delprato, Ouchard, Jacquemin, Dumont, Couturieux, Richaume, Bourgeois, Bontemps.
He died on 6 December 1915.
Charles Nicolas spent fifty-six years of his life devoted to making bows.
Charles Louis Bazin (Louis Bazin) fils (1881 - 1953) son, pupil and successor (in 1907) of Charles-Nicolas Bazin II. He started making bows from the age of 12, served his apprenticeship with his father.
He took over the family workshop in 1907 where his father continued to work with him until his death in 1915.
In 1922, Charles Alfred BAZIN, one of Charles Louis BAZIN’s two sons, started his apprenticeship and worked alongside his father until 1945.
Charles Louis BAZIN retired in 1952, his son Charles Alfred BAZIN took over his workshop.
Louis Bazin is considered the most important of the Bazin family, and has achieved the highest standard and renown in his craft.
During the 20th century Louis Bazin’s bows were widely acclaimed by French virtuosi.
”No better bows made by any contemporary maker.” - William Henley
Eustache-Joseph Bazin (1823 1864) son of Francois, also became a bowmaker.
Emile Joseph Bazin (1868 - 1956) son of Charles Nicolas. Did his apprenticeship with his father, leaving at age 17 to spend 1885-89 working at Hill & Sons in London, most likely alongside Samuel Allen, among others.
Emile left the bow making profession and, by the time he married (Marie-Nathalie Husson) in 1893, had become a music professor.
Gustave BAZIN (1871 - 1920) second son of Charles-Nicolas Bazin II, was the first violin maker in the family. His students included Amèdée Dieudonne, Marcel Vatelot and Charles Enel.
René BAZIN (1906 - 1982) son and pupil of Charles-Louis (for bow making), pupil of Dieudonné (for instrument making). He was more attracted by violin making. Worked with Marcel Vatelot in Paris, and with Fridolin Hamma in Stuttgart. Died on December 30 1982 in Munich. Possessed an important library of violin makers and their works which was dispersed upon his death. He was himself, the author of research concerning Jean Baptiste Vuillaume

Jean Baptiste Vuillaume

Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was an illustrious French violin maker. He made over 3,000 instruments and was also a fine businessman and an inventor.-Early life:...

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Charles Alfred BAZIN (1907 - 1987) second son of Charles-Louis (Louis Bazin), with whom he worked (1922). Established on his own accord in 1945, at Mirecourt, succeeded his father in 1952.
Retired in 1980, he was the last bow maker of the great family.

Apprentices and workmen who worked for Charles Alfred Bazin included:
Francois Lotte

Francois Lotte

Francois Lotte was a French archetier / bow maker.Son of George Lotte who was a luthier/violin maker in the Vuillaume shop. Francois Lotte received his training in the best French tradition, initially apprenticed with Bazin....

, Rene Lotte (cousin of Francois Lotte), Louis Morizot

Louis Morizot

-Biography:Louis was born in Darney , and worked in Mirecourt, France where he started a family dynasty.Louis Morizot began his apprenticeship with Eugene Cuniot-Hury, before joining the workshop of Charles Nicolas BAZIN....

, Louis Gillet, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Claude Ouchard (son of Emile A. Ouchard) and many others.

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