Josef Bohumil Herclík , Mladá Boleslav 1939

Josef Bohumil Herclík (1903-1987) was the son of the violin maker František Herclík and brother of violin maker Ladislav Herclík. He apprenticed at his father in Mladá Boleslav. Then he graduated at the violin making school in Schönbach. 1921-1023 he worked at Otakar Špidlen in Prague. From 1924 he lead his father’s workshop in Mladá Boleslav. In 1925 got independent and then his father worked with him. As a good musician (he played violin and viola d´amoure) he was a member of the fhilharmonic orchestra of Mladá Boleslav for 35 years. In the end of the WWII he got arrested by the nazis for resistance activities and after the war was decorated. He taught Jiří Mrkvička and his son Přemysl. He was the founding member of the Circle of Czech Master Violin Makers. He worked after various models incl. Stradivari, Guarneri, E. A. Homolka, J. Kulík, A. Sitt. He also made a few viols d´amoure, barock lutes and harps. His instruments are made precisely from excellent materials. He used soft spirit varnish. He was also a good restorer. He successfully entered several competitions.

This violin is probably the most beautiful I have seen from Herclík. Though the interoir work shows it was made of pre-made parts, the exterior fully reflects Herclík’s style and perfect wormanship. The material is excellent bird-eye maple. We should realize that the pre-made parts (so called “boxes”) from the Czech First Republic (1918-1939) were of such a high quality that practically all violin makers of that time did use them. I think these instruments should not be considered as less valued nor genuine.