John Mackintosh (luthier)

John Mackintosh (Seán Mac an Taoisigh; c. 1780–1841) was a luthier, author and maker of violins from Dublin. Towards the end of his career, he wrote a short publication on violin making and the Cremonese school, where he claims to have rediscovered their forgotten technique of wood preservation. One of his violins is preserved as part of a collection at the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.

Early life
Very little is known about Mackintosh's early life. While it is well documented that he spent most of his teenage and adult life living and working in Dublin, it is thought by some that he was born in Scotland. However, this may be a mistake due to the existence of two other Scottish luthiers named John Macintosh (spelled without a 'k') that flourished in Scotland in the 19th century.

Apprenticeship and early career: 1808–1819
Mackintosh began his training as a luthier in Dublin in the early 19th century. He was apprenticed to Dublin maker Thomas Perry at 6 Anglesea Street between 1808 and 1817. Perry's workshop was well established by this time and had seen notable makers such as James Perry, Richard Tobin, John Delany and Vincenzo Panormo pass through its doors. At this point, Perry had been in partnership with his nephew and former apprentice, William Wilkinson, since 1789 and the firm was known as Perry & Wilkinson. William Ringwood, another notable maker, had been working there since 1783 and was an associate of the firm at this time. Mackintosh is believed to have been Perry's last apprentice, as Perry died the following year in November, 1818.

Following his apprenticeship to Perry, Mackintosh set up his own workshop at 1 Essex Quay, Dublin, in 1817. Mackintosh's choice of address was likely not haphazard; there were various skilled craftsmen, such as watchmakers, clockmakers and other musical-instrument makers on the quay during first half of the 19th century. Probably the most notable craftsman to work on Essex Quay was Dublin medallist William Mossop (1751–1804), who resided at 13 Essex Quay from 1784, where his son, also William (1788–1827), succeeded him. In fact, it is believed that Mackintosh shared his premises with a pipemaker named Timothy Kenna, who had earlier succeeded his father's business on Essex Quay. Mackintosh worked at 1 Essex Quay up until 1819.

Experimentation and later career: 1819–1841
In 1819, Mackintosh moved to 10 Essex Quay, where he worked until 1824. Around the same time, John Dollard, another former apprentice of Perry's, moved to 15 Essex Quay. In 1825, Mackintosh moved to 11 Aston Quay, where he remained until 1834. This was another area where notable Dublin luthiers had previously resided, such as 18th century maker George Ward. From 1834 onwards, Mackintosh resided at 12 Lower Ormond Quay with his eldest son, Robert J. Mackintosh, a professor of music and accomplished violinist. Brian Boydell suggests that John Mackintosh too was a professor of some description. However, this may have been confused for his son's profession, as John Mackintosh is only ever listed in directories as a 'Violin Maker' or 'Musical Instrument Maker'. In an 1841 publication titled The Native Music of Ireland, John Mackintosh is described as "a musical instrument maker of considerable celebrity in this city", which suggests that he was well known throughout Dublin City for his ability as an violin maker.



In 1837, Mackintosh published a short book on violin making titled Remarks on the Construction and Materials Employed in the Manufacture of Violins. In the book, he deals with the topics of wood, tone, bridge and sound post, and the Cremonese school. In particular, he stresses the importance of choosing good quality, mature timber with pores of a certain size and formation that have been dried and cleaed through a natural process. Furthermore, he states that age is not necessary to produce a good instrument and that violins as good as those of the Cremonese school can be achieved by contemporary makers with the correct approach. Mackintosh continued to work at Lower Ormond Quay until his death in 1841. John Dilworth suggests that he worked in Dublin up until 1839, and died in Dovecotland, Perthshire, Scotland in 1850. This is consistent with accounts from other experts that have said that he moved back to Scotland in 1840 to become a recluse. Whereas Boydell suggests that he died in Dublin in 1840 However, there is evidence of Mackintosh residing at Lower Ormond Quay until at least 1841 in the Post Office Directory. If he did in fact return to Scotland after retiring, this would support the theory that he was originally Scottish. His son Robert continued to live at 12 Lower Ormond Quay up until at least 1842.

Style and technique
Mackintosh's style was typical of the later Irish school and heavily influenced by the Cremonese style of violin making. During his apprenticeship, he learned to make violins based on the Amati model, which his teacher, Perry, had by then adopted in favour of the earlier Stainer model. Perry is said to have studied directly from an Amati instrument lent to him by the Duke of Leinster. Additionally, Mackintosh would typically brand his violins externally at the back below the button 'MACKINTOSH/DUBLIN', a signature of the Irish school.

Mackintosh based his violins broadly on Italian models, including Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri. In his 1837 publication, Mackintosh states that he had studied each of these makers in great detail, particularly Stradivari, of whom he had several instruments pass through his hands. Mackintosh also experimented greatly in pursuit of replicating the old Italian masters' instruments. He states that he tried "steaming, steeping, stoving, boiling, and baking the timber", as well as using "all kinds of spirits, caustics, and acids" but that "these disorganised the pores and impaired the fibres of the timber". He also states that he discovered the process by which such instruments could be achieved, and that 16 years earlier he had produced "three violins of timber which had been in a certain situation for a particular purpose" which were since reported by their owners to be as good as any Cremona instrument. This would suggest that he made such instruments around 1821 whilst working at 10 Essex Quay.

Extant instruments
It is unknown how many instruments Mackintosh produced in his lifetime as they were not numbered. One of his violins is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland as part of a collection of musical instruments by Irish makers. The collection also includes instruments by other 18th and 19th century luthiers including Mackintosh's teacher, Perry, as well as John Delany, Thomas Molyneux and George Ward.

Some of Mackintosh's extant instruments:

Publications

 * Mackintosh J. (1837) Remarks on the Construction and Materials Employed in the Manufacture of Violins. Dublin: Martin Keene & Son.