|
The Catgut Acoustical Society Library |
| File #: | C7450 |
| Name: | Condax, Louis M |
| Dates: | 1897-1971 |
| See also: |
| General Information: |
| A research chemist whose early work was with Frederick Ives who developed the dye transfer process |
| for color printing. Louis subsequently went with Eastman Kodak and helped them apply the process to |
| their color film. He was also a skilled violin maker and became deeply involved in researching the early |
| violin varnishes. He received a grant from the Mellon Foundation and went to Europe to investigate |
| evidences of the different varnishes used by the seventeenth and eighteenth century makers, particularly |
| in Northern Italy. The Condax notebooks are in the CAS file and contain a wealth of information which |
| has been researched by David Fix. Fix indicates that Condax developed many different varnish |
| formulas, however, Fix has not as yet published his findings (1992). The file includes not only Louis' |
| notebooks but also correspondance and a copy of his report to the Mellon Foundation. J. Michelman was |
| highly critical of this work since it challenged Michelman's claim to having discovered the "secret" of the |
| old Italian varnish. Louis was a long time member of the CAS and published a number of articles in the |
| CASNL. Condax worked at Rembert Wurlitzer Co. in NYC with S.F. Sacconi on various varnish |
| problems and treatment of violin wood, particularly the ammonia gas method of seasoning the wood |
| before varnishing. Louis and his wife Constance often stopped by Montclair for a visit to discuss violin |
| making and varnishing. When Louis died, Connie gave his files to CMH for the CAS files. |
| File Contents: |
| C7450 | -- | 100 |
| Correspondence: 101 - Various 1958-68; 102 - Constance 1971-80; 103 - CMH 1959-71; 104 - |
| Sacconi 1946-48; 105 - Vidoudez 1950-70. Miscellaneous: 106 - certificate, hand drawn map, violin |
| making school prospectus (Syracuse U.), graphs, clippings, etc.; 107 - Varnish recipes; Technical: 108 |
| - Evolution of Violin; 109 - Fry/Michelman; 110 - Unpub. & Inc of Condax; 111 - Manuscript: Report |
| on varnish; 112 - Manuscrpt: on violin. |
| Key Words: | Varnish | Proposal |
| C7450 | -- | 200 |
| Mellon Institute Grant Project on Violin Varnish: 201 & 202 -- Correspondence: (1967-1970) mainly |
| between Condax, L.H. Larsen and G.O. Luster (both of the Mellon Institute), Fannie Taylor (of the |
| National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities), Desmond Hill, William Moennig and Henry Werro. |
| 203 -- Miscellaneous: news articles (1967-1969) and attacks by Joseph Michelman. 204 -- Research |
| reports (6 from 1968-1970) to the Mellon Institute; also report giving instructions for using the varnish. |
| Key Words: | Varnish |
| C7450 | -- | 300 |
| Magazine issues: The Strad (5 issues from 1967-1969; 2 extracted articles, 1959 and 1963; |
| photocopied pages); Violins and Violinists (6 issues from 1940-1953; various pages extracted from |
| other issues; reprinted article). |
| Key Words: |
| C7450 | -- | 400 |
| Subject files. A-D: 9 folders. Bows - Piere Vidoudez; Mario Bernardi ("Cello Podium"); Dragonetti, |
| dye transfer, etc. |
| Key Words: | Bows | Cello podium |
| C7450 | -- | 500 |
| Subject files. E-R: 14 folders; Fossil wood, Gambas, labels, etc. Franz F. Lyon, Max Moeller, William |
| Moennig, Jan Hilbert Nordlinger, David Rubinoff. |
| Key Words: | Gambas | Fossil wood | ||
| C7450 | -- | 600 |
| Subject files. S-Z: 13 folders. Simone Sacconi; Felix Savart; Lionel Tertis model viola; fiber glass |
| bows, etc. |
| Key Words: | Fiber glass bows |
| C7450 | -- | 700 |
| Notebooks: on violin varnish experiments - 301 (black with rings) entries from 1937-1959; 302 (black |
| with red corners) 1944-50; 303 (No.2) 1951-1957; 304 (Record book) 1958-66; 305 (Black/black |
| corners) 1967-70; 306 (Black/red) 1969-70; 307 (Blue spiral) containing apparently part of lengthy |
| article. |
| Key Words: |
| C7450 | -- | 800 |
| Condax varnish samples on wood. |
| Key Words: |