John Mackintosh (luthier)

Very little is known about Mackintosh's early life. While it is well documented that he spent most of his teenage and adult life living and working in Dublin,^[1][5] it is thought by some that he was born in Scotland.^[6] However, this may a mistake due to the existence of two other Scottish luthiers named John Macintosh (spelled without a 'k') that flourished in Scotland in the 19th century.^[7][8]

Mackintosh probably began his training as a luthier in the early 1800s.^[5] He was apprenticed to Dublin maker Thomas Perry at 6 Anglesea Street between 1808 and 1817.^[9] Following his apprenticeship to Perry, Mackintosh set up his own workshop at 1 Essex Quay, Dublin, in 1817. Mackintosh's choice of address was likely not haphazard; there were various skilled craftsmen, such as watchmakers, clockmakers and other musical-instrument makers, on the quay during first half of the nineteenth century.^[10] Probably the most notable craftsman to work on Essex Quay was the Dublin medallist William Mossop (1751–1804), who resided at 13 Essex Quay from 1784, where his son, also William (1788–27), succeeded him. In fact, it is believed that Mackintosh shared his premises with a pipemaker named Timothy Kenna, who had earlier succeeded his father's business on Essex Quay.^[10] Mackintosh remained at 1 Essex Quay until 1819.

In 1819, Mackintosh moved to 10 Essex Quay, where he worked until 1824.^[1] Around the same time, John Dollard, another former apprentice of Perry's, moved to 15 Essex Quay. In 1825, Mackintosh moved to 11 Aston Quay, where he remained until 1834.^[1] This was another area where notable Dublin luthiers had previously resided, such as George Ward. From 1834 onwards, Mackintosh resided at 12 Lower Ormond Quay with his eldest son, Robert J. Mackintosh, a professor of music and accomplished violinist.^[1][11] Brian Boydell suggest that John Mackintosh too was a professor of some description.^[2] However, this may have been confused for his son's profession, as John Mackintosh is only ever listed in directories as a 'Violin Maker' or 'Musical Instrument Maker'. In an 1841 publication titled The Native Music of Ireland, John Mackintosh is described as "a musical instrument maker of considerable celebrity in this city", which suggest he was well-known for his ability as an violin maker.^[11]

In 1837, Mackintosh published a short book on violin making titled Remarks on the Construction and Materials Employed in the Manufacture of Violins. In the book, he deals with the topics of wood, tone, bridge and sound post, and the Cremonese school. In particular, he stresses the importance of choosing good quality, mature timber with pores of a certain size and formation. Furthermore, he states that age is not necessary to produce a good instrument and that violins as good as those of the Cremonese school can be achieved by contemporary makers with the correct approach.^[3] Mackintosh continued to work at Lower Ormond Quay until his death in 1841.^[5] John Dilworth suggests that he worked up to 1839 in Dublin and died in 1850 in Dovecotland, Perthshire, Scotland.^[12] However, there is evidence of Mackintosh residing at Lower Ormond Quay until 1841 in the Post Office Directory. If he did in fact return to Scotland after retiring, this would support the theory that he was born there. Regardless of this, his son, Robert, continued to live at 12 Lower Ormond Quay up until at least 1842.

Mackintosh's style was typical of the Irish school and heavily influenced by the Cremonese style of violin making. During his apprenticeship, he learned to make violins based on the Amati model, which his teacher, Perry, had by then adopted in favour of the earlier Stainer model. Perry is said to have studied directly from an Amati instrument lent to him by the Duke of Leinster.^[13] Additionally, Mackintosh would typically brand his violins externally at the back below the button 'MACKINTOSH/DUBLIN', a signature of the Irish school.

Mackintosh based his violins broadly on Italian models, including Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri.^[6] In his 1837 publication, Mackintosh states that he had studied each of these makers in great detail, particularly Stradivari, of whom he had several instruments pass through his hands.^[3] Mackintosh also experimented greatly in pursuit of replicating the old Italian masters' instruments. He states that he tried "steaming, steeping, stoving, boiling, and baking the timber; I have also used all kinds of spirits, caustics, and acids, but all these disorganised the pores and impaired the fibres of the timber".^[3] He also states that he discovered the process by which such instruments could be achieved, and that 16 years earlier he had produced "three violins of timber which had been in a certain situation for a particular purpose" which were since reported by their owners to be as good as any Cremona instrument.^[3] This would suggest that he made such instruments around 1821.

It is unknown how many instruments Mackintosh produced in his lifetime as they were not numbered. One of his violins is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland as part of a collection of musical instruments by Irish makers.^[4] The collection also includes instruments by other 18th and 19th century luthiers including Mackintosh's teacher, Perry, as well as John Delany, Thomas Molyneux and George Ward.^[4]

Some of Mackintosh's extant instruments:

• Mackintosh J. (1837) Remarks on the Construction and Materials Employed in the Manufacture of Violins. Dublin: Martin Keene & Son.

• Thomas Perry (luthier)
• William Ringwood

• John Mackintosh on Dublin Music Trade
• John Mackintosh on Brian Boydell Card Index
• John Macintosh on Tarisio
• John Macintosh on Amati
• Catalogue of Mackintosh's 1837 publication at National Library of Australia