This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour we speak with Adam Birce, the owner and operator of Four Strings violin shop in Richmond, VA. Adam has a client who brought in a very interesting Glier violin for repair. The violin dates to Jefferson's time and Adam believes it's possible that a connection exists.
According to Adam, "The instrument in question was made sometime between 1790 and 1840 by a maker from Neukirchen, Germany by the name of August Glier. I have little doubt that this instrument is a genuine article as it is made to a much higher standard than a typical "Saxon" violin, it's wood and varnish is of the appropriate age, and indeed, this violin possesses it's original label. There would be no reason to replicate an instrument made in this time period and from this maker as historically they aren't particularly valuable."
Further Reading
- Adam Birce's website, Four Strings.
We are joined this week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour by three of our favorite friends: Pat Brodowski, Beau Wright, and Brad Crisler. Pat Brodowski is Monticello’s Head Gardener. Beau Wright is a council member at large for the city of Lynchburg, Virginia. Brad Crisler is an award-winning Nashville-based songwriter, who now operates Truman B. Crisler Fine Portrait Miniatures.
This week we speak with Thomas Jefferson briefly about Alexander von Humbolt, and then bring Jefferson closer to our time by informing him that 50 years ago America landed men on the moon, which he has a bit of trouble believing. We also discuss Woodstock with Jefferson who says he hopes that if there were indeed women in attendance that they were all properly “escorted.”
We discuss the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo moon landing and then are joined by two special guests. Jeff Huss of the Huss & Dalton Guitar Company in Staunton, Virginia talks about a very special project: the Jefferson Edition 00-SP Custom guitar which is crafted in part with wood from Monticello. Later in the program, Monticello’s head gardener Pat Brodowski tells us about the trees the wood came from and why they had to be cut down.
President Thomas Jefferson is asked to provide context for presidential inaugurations. Clay & David discuss our third president's inaugural address — its content & its tone — while comparing it to the address of our forty-fifth president, Donald Trump.