Arnold Dolmetsch 1858-1940
I came across this photo in a book called Camera Portraits: Photographs from the National Portrait Gallery, London 1839-1989.
Here's a section from the accompanying text:
Born in France of Bohemian origin, Arnold Dolmetsch trained as a musical-instrument maker with his father, and came to England about 1883. With the encouragement of Sir George Grove (of dictionary fame), he began his investigations into early English instrumental music, and the way it was played. This led to the making of lutes, virginals, clavichords, harpsichords, recorders, viols and violins, which became his life's work. In 1925, close to the time of this photograph, he founded at Haslemere, Surrey, where he lived, an annual summer festival of early music. Here he, his family and friends attempted to recreate historically authentic performances, but not for their own sake: 'This music is of absolute and not antiquarian importance; it must be played as the composer intended and on the instruments for which it was written with their correct technique; and through it personal music-making can be restored to the home, from which two centuries of professionalism have divorced it.'The photograph was taken by Herbert Lambert 1881-1936. It is a toned bromide print, lettered: ARNOLD DOLMETSCH, c. 1925
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