Émile Auguste Ouchard violin bow, circa 1952

Celebrated French bow maker Émile Auguste Ouchard was born in Mirecourt in 1900 and died in Paris in 1969. He studied with his father Émile François Ouchard (1872-1951) at the prominent Cuniot-Hury atelier in Mirecourt, which the elder Ouchard had taken over in 1910. In 1922, the Ouchards opened their own shop, which was highly productive for many years. In 1937, Émile Auguste took control of the business from his reluctant father before he moved to Paris in 1940 to open his own workshop. He later relocated to the United States in 1946 where he worked independently in New York for two years before entering into a contract to produce bows for William Lewis & Son in Chicago for over a decade. During this time, he made annual trips to Paris, returning there for good in 1960. The bows of Émile Auguste have won numerous awards including the Grand Prix at the International Paris Exhibition in 1942. His sons Bernard and Jean-Claude also became noted bow makers. Émile Auguste Ouchard's bows are in high demand among professional players and collectors.