|
The Catgut Acoustical Society Library |
| File #: | F6160 |
| Name: | Fletcher, William Harvey |
| Dates: | 1866 - 1959 |
| See also: | F6120 - Fletcher, Donald Atkinson (son) |
| General Information: |
| Uncle of CMH (mother's brother, father's brother in-law, and father of Donald A. Fletcher) who made |
| violins for many years as a hobby (at least 200). CMH never saw his actual working set up for he had |
| moved to Houston, Texas from Brooklyn before CMH became interested in string instruments. When |
| CMH needed a viola she wrote to him asking if he would make her one. He replied that he only knew |
| how to make violins, not violas, and suggested that she get in touch with his violin maker in NYC and try |
| making one herself. After discussions with husband and family, CMH went to the violin maker, C. |
| Meisel at 4 St Marks Place in the Bowery in NYC, bought a set of wood, a blueprint of a viola and a |
| book ("Violin Making as it Was and Is" Ed Heron-Allen) and got started. The work took two years of |
| carefully reading the book with occasional comments from Fletcher, the violin maker who spoke little |
| English (Meisel had died and his wife was running the shop), and a salesman at Wurlitzer's. When it |
| was done, the viola was rated the work of a good carpenter and was the only one that CMH planned to |
| make! |
| File Contents: |
| F6160 | -- | 101 |
| Correspondence: (1931-1965) involving Grace Louise Clark, W H Fletcher, William Harvey Fletcher |
| Jr., Louise Maley Hogan, CMH and Maud Alice Sauter. |
| Key Words: |
| F6160 | -- | 102 |
| Miscellaneous: news clipping, an address, drawing of a violin outline, mailing label, obit and |
| Fletcher-Maley genealogy. |
| Key Words: | CM Hutchins family. |