16 3/8" Albert Phillips Hill viola, London 1972

Of the celebrated Hill dynasty of English luthiers, Joseph Hill (1715-1784) was the first documented maker, born in Alvechurch, England. He moved to London around 1746, and by 1753, had established his own business, where he worked prolifically with his five violin-making sons-the most notable being Joseph Hill II (1745-1793) and Lockey Hill (1756-1810). In the following generation, Hill's grandson Henry Lockey Hill (1774-1835) would pass the tradition to his own sons, including William Ebsworth Hill (1817-1895), founder of the most acclaimed violin company in London in the 19th century: W. E. Hill & Sons. W. E. Hill's own sons would carry the Hill name well into the 20th century as one of the most important in the history of violin making.

Sold with certificates of authenticity from Tim Toft and D. R. Hill and Sons.