Collin-Mezin cello 1916

Collin-Mezin (1841–1923) was a distinguished French maker of violins, violas, bases and bows. He was an Officier de l’Academie des Beaux-Arts and won gold and silver medals at the Paris exhibitions in 1878, 1889 and 1900.
A number of famous violinists played on his instruments, and praised their quality and playability. These violinists include Joseph Joachim, Sivori, Leonard, Marie Tayau, and Jules Armingaud, who considered a Collin-Mezin equal to a Stradivarius for flexibility of sound.
CJP Collin-Mezin’s work follows the designs of famous Italian schools Stradivarius, Guarnerius, and Amati. His violins are very finely crafted in every detail, and he uses old wood that was grown naturally.

Charles Collin-Mezin Jr. (1870–1934) was a French violin maker, and an Officier de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts.
He collaborated with his father Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin, a famous Parisian luthier.
When his father died in 1923, the family’s Mirecourt workshop was taken over by Charles Jr., who moved from his father’s Paris workshop to Mirecourt in 1925. He also spent some time working in the United States.
All his labels say Paris, and display his father’s name. Therefore, he seems to have continued to produce instruments for his father.
His violins display high quality workmanship in the tradition of his father. Later in life he constructed some instruments of more original character.
His varnish is thick, with an Italian appearance.
Instruments from the Collin-Mezin workshop often represent superb “value for the money”, especially for cellos and basses.

Many but not all authentic Collin-Mezins have a hand-written signature in addition to a label (according to Henley).
Violins with later dates have a Grand Prix label in addition to the hand written signature.
On the side of his original sound posts there is a stamp of “Collin-Mézin,” a copyright facsimile of his signature.
His labels are not to be confused with the violins of his son and collaborator Charles Collin-Mezin, Jr., whose instruments are also of high quality. The labels of Collin-Mezin, Jr’s instruments still contain labels with his father’s name, and indicate that they are “par Ch J. B. Collin-Mézin.” These mention “Paris” (even though many were made in Mirecourt after 1924), and also mention “Grand Prix Exposition."*