Beares Publishing Donates Six-Volume Stradivarius Book to the UK's Ashmolean Museum

Beares Publishing and J&A Beare have announced that they will donate a set of Antonio Stradivari: The Complete Works to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK.

Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean is one of the world's oldest public museums. Its collection of string instruments includes violins, violas, and cellos by members of the Amati family, by Antonio Stradivari himself, and by several other craftsmen. The highlight of the collection is Stradivari's "Messiah" violin of 1716, which was donated to the collection by Alfred and Arthur Hill in 1939.

To mark the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari’s 380th birthday anniversary, Beares Publishing, in partnership with London’s J. & A. Beare, has released its new book, Antonio Stradivari: The Complete Works. 

Published in six volumes, it is the most extensive collection of Stradivari’s masterpieces ever assembled and will allow all violin experts, including instrument dealers, researchers, and collectors, equal access to an invaluable archive. 

The Complete Works features 845 meticulously researched provenances alongside full-color photos of each instrument and rare archival images. 

This collection represents nine years of research by John Dilworth and Duane Rosengard, who were granted exclusive access to privately held archives for their purposes. The book was authored by Simon Morris and Steven Smith, and edited by Mark Gunn and Anna Saldadzé. 

Instruments in The Complete Works include 736 violins, 14 violas, and 69 cellos — featuring their respective labels, chronological origins, ownership, dating of the wood, certificates, and dimensions. The book also includes Stradivari’s six guitars, two mandolins, a lute front, a bow, one harp, and one pochette. 

To purchase Antonio Stradivari: The Complete Works, click here. The book is available as a Deluxe Edition and as a Library Edition.