£460 violin is bought at Fintona auction for young musician (1962)

The News Letter reported during this week in 1962 by Joan Trimble had purchased an 18th century violin at a sale that had been held at Ecclesville, Fintona, Co Tyrone, for her youngest daughter Caroline.
Mr Colin Anderson, chairman of LEDU with Mr John Waddell, former chairman, at the opening of an exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of the Local Enterprise Development Unit in September 1981. They are seen admiring the work of Mr James McKillop, a violin maker from Carnlough, Co Antrim. Picture: News Letter archivesMr Colin Anderson, chairman of LEDU with Mr John Waddell, former chairman, at the opening of an exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of the Local Enterprise Development Unit in September 1981. They are seen admiring the work of Mr James McKillop, a violin maker from Carnlough, Co Antrim. Picture: News Letter archives
Mr Colin Anderson, chairman of LEDU with Mr John Waddell, former chairman, at the opening of an exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of the Local Enterprise Development Unit in September 1981. They are seen admiring the work of Mr James McKillop, a violin maker from Carnlough, Co Antrim. Picture: News Letter archives

Joan, who with her sister Valerie formed the famous concert partnership, paid £460 for the violin, which was made in 1780 by N Lupot of Orleans.

The instrument cost £200 when it was bought from W E Hill and Son of New Bond Street in 1829.

Caroline, for whom the violin had been bought, was aged 11, but she was not be given the instrument immediately, instead, her mother was to pass on her own violin to her daughter.

Joan Trimble, Mrs Greenwood Gant in private life, told the News Letter that she bought the Lupot violin as a “sort of heirloom”; she had known the owner, Mr Raymond Browne-Lecky, well. Of the other two Gant children, Nicholas, aged 17, was a drummer, while Joanna, aged 13, had followed her aunt Valerie who was an accomplished cellist.

Dr and Mrs Gant had been on a short visit to Enniskillen, the home of Valerie’s father, Mr Egbert Trimble.

An early Belfast photographer is remembered by the Roamer

A correspondent writing to the Roamer during this week in 1962 reflected on the sale at Ecclesville.

They wrote: “The sale at Ecclesville reminds us that Ulster is not, as some suppose, a land of Philistines; this fact, of course, was even more fully underlined by the exhibition of paintings from Ulster houses which was held in Belfast Museum and Art Gallery last year.”

The correspondent added: “In its time Ulster has given shelter to toe refugee artist as well as to such refugee artisans as the Huguenots.

“Just one hundred years ago a community of Italian artists who had fled from toe troubles of the Risorgaments in their native land, settled in Belfast. They lived mainly in a district between York Street and the docks.

“The Belfast antiquarian, the late Cathal O’Byrne, records that one of them, Felix Piccione, who had a studio near Corn Market and lived in Corporation Street, achieved a more than local fame as an exquisite painter and etcher.

“He was also a photographer – and as he flourished in the 1870s, he must have been one of the earliest photographers in the city.”

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