A rare photo found in a box of miscellaneous violin parts 
and probably taken by Aylor of one of his own violins 
 

Many of his violins - and possibly some of his guitars - now exist in various private collections in Virginia and elsewhere.  The Soho Center has acquired an Aylor violin and hopes to acquire a variety of Aylor's violin-related items, including Aylor's hand-drawn violin and guitar patterns as well as  partially-completed violin bodies and violin parts.
 

Two partially completed violin backs on top of a blank 
ready for  Aylor's cutting and carving. 

A rare, in-process Aylor violin neck from Aylor's shop. 
Both the necks and the bodies were cut on Aylor's 
remarkable jigsaw (click here to go to 
our Aylor Jigsaw page).

Here is a side-by-side view of the blank shown above next to the neck of 
Aylor's violin signed by Aylor, identified as No. 9, and dated 1891 in
Aylor's hand. The violin and the neck blank are shown on a box from
Aylor's shop along with a letter to Albert Aylor from one of his suppliers.

Aylor clearly experimented as he worked on developing his skills
as a violin-maker.  Here is a hand-carved tailpiece discovered among
Aylor's violin items.  Most likely, this was carved by Aylor before
he resorted to manufactured tailpieces that appear on his violins.

Another example of Aylor's work-in-progress are these two fingerboards. 
The one on the left is identified in Aylor's hand as "22" (see highlight
in insert) on the back side of the ebony.

Click Here for Page Two