Pierre Jean Henri Hel

Born in Lille, France in 1884.

He apprenticed under his father, Joseph Hel (1842-1902), and from the age of 16 he also studied under Gustave Bazin (1871-1920) of Mirecourt.
In 1902, his father, Joseph L., died, and he took over the business at a young age.

In the early days, he produced instruments using models from Stradivari, Amati, and Guarneri, but in 1923 a personal model instrument he produced was recognized by violinist Georges Enesco (1881-1955) and used on his American tour, where it received high praise.

He crafted over 400 violins, violas and cellos over his lifetime using richly textured, high-quality red and orange varnishes.
He won prizes at exhibitions in St. Louis and Milan in 1904 and 1906.
In 1924, he exhibited a decorated violin named "Nightingale" at the Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts "Le Rossignol."

He also had his assistants make high-quality bows with the "PIERRE HEL" stamp on them, which he sold in his own shop.

He died in Lille, France in 1931 (age 47).

≪Quoted from The Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers / Universal Dictionary≫