Claude Auguste Thomassin (1865–1942) was a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 bow maker

Bow (music)

In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....

, or Archetier

Archetier

A bow maker is a person who builds, repairs, and restores ancient or modern bows for instruments of the violin family. These include violins, violas, cellos, double basses, viola d'amore, viola da gamba, etc....

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Son of Louis Thomassin

Louis Thomassin (archetier)

Louis Thomassin was a French bow maker, or Archetier.He learned his craft in Mirecourt where he worked for the Bazin Family. In 1872 he went to Paris to work for François Nicolas Voirin and carried on Voirin's shop after his death....

 with whom he learned his craft in Mirecourt

Mirecourt

Mirecourt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly those of the violin family...

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In his early career, he worked for the shop of Gand & Bernadel. Many bows from this period are stamped 'Gand & Bernadel'.
In 1901 the family firm of Gand & Bernadel was taken over by Caressa & Francais

Caressa & Francais

Caressa & Français - was a distinguished firm in Paris that specialized in fine musical instruments and bows.It was founded in 1901 by Albert Caressa and Henri Français, both of whom had worked for the GAND and BERNARDEL shop/firm , when they had succeeded the House of GAND and BERNARDEL -...

. It was at this point that Claude Thomassin set up his own atelier at Rue de Paris in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

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Although he continued to produce some bows for his former employers, much of his output from 1901 onwards was branded with his name "C.Thomassin a Paris".

Claude Thomassin has been called one of the best makers of his generation.

"C. Thomassin's work is highly prized and respected for playability and beautiful workmanship" - Filimonov Fine Violins