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Birth : 1892 in Nantes

Biography

Career
Born in Nantes in 1892, Charles LE LYONNAIS apprenticed to E. AUDINOT in MIRECOURT before returning to his hometown to open his own workshop in 1913. We have no information at this time concerning the address of this workshop.
In 1919 he was called up for military service and, on his return to civilian life, most likely in 1920, he reopened his worksop which included a music store at n° 5 rue Racine.(1)

Around that time he met Jules, Louis CHENANTAIS, a Medical Doctor with a passion for violin making, and they became collaborators. A violin, born from this collaboration, was awarded a second prize for sonority at the 1921 Paris Violin Making Competition. (2)
We know that this collaboration lasted until at least 1938, from the labels of violins we have been able to examine.

In 1927, Jules CHENANTAIS published « Règles pour la construction » and « Le violoniste et le violon : causeries psychologiques, critiques et techniques »(3)

Label & Stamps
- Starting from 1921 and during his collaboration period with Dr. CHENANTAIS
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Chenantais & Le Lyonnais
Nantes         N°
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The date and number are in ink as well as both signatures in ink on the label.

- Besides this label, instruments can have a stamp of a three leaf clover on the inside back.
- Also some instruments have the signature of Le Lyonnais with the date of fabrication on the inside blocks.

Sources
(1) Facteur de Pianos en France : gives 1920 as fondation date http://www.lieveverbeeck.eu/Pianos_francais_l.htm
(2) Dictionnaire universel des luthiers, René Vannes.
(3) J.P. COIGNIER - R. TERRIER LUTHIER
(More specific publication references are available in our Bibliography section)

 

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