Double Bass PW Bryant (bowmaker)

[Dr_Atomic]

I have a bow made by PW Bryant. It's a great bow and I've been wondering about who PW Bryant was for a long time. Does anyone know anything about him?

My bow looks just like this one also by PW Bryant:

http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2548.htm

 

[Bowmaker]

Dear Dr. Atomic
Here to attempt a reply to your question about P. W. Bryant. I could expand more on this in a private email if you wish.

P. W. Bryant was born in London in 1902 and died in Ovingdean in 1994. He was a bowmaker for the whole of his working life, and self employed since 1939. He worked first for Withers shop in Leicester Square, London, being taught bow making by (principally) Victor Thomassin and a member of the Husson family. When Withers went out of business in 1932 Bryant moved to Ovingdean and commenced bow making on his own just prior to WW2. He became known for making bass bows very soon after the war because he was the only British bow maker prepared to make them, and they were very well made. They supplied a need for British orchestral players at a time when importing French or German bows was difficult. He made bows for the whole string family and became interested in replica 'period' bows later in his career as a need arose in the music world. He acted as a bow making mentor to Andrew Bellis and Gordon Bailey in the late 1980's. After he died in 1994 his workshop contents were sold at Sotheby's London, 1/11/1994. He was an individual, mildly eccentric, but lovely man.

 

[OldBows]

It sounds like you knew him, Bowmaker!

Do you have any information on his replica 'period' bows?

 

[groooooove]

Dear Dr. Atomic
Here to attempt a reply to your question about P. W. Bryant. I could expand more on this in a private email if you wish.

P. W. Bryant was born in London in 1902 and died in Ovingdean in 1994. He was a bowmaker for the whole of his working life, and self employed since 1939. He worked first for Withers shop in Leicester Square, London, being taught bow making by (principally) Victor Thomassin and a member of the Husson family. When Withers went out of business in 1932 Bryant moved to Ovingdean and commenced bow making on his own just prior to WW2. He became known for making bass bows very soon after the war because he was the only British bow maker prepared to make them, and they were very well made. They supplied a need for British orchestral players at a time when importing French or German bows was difficult. He made bows for the whole string family and became interested in replica 'period' bows later in his career as a need arose in the music world. He acted as a bow making mentor to Andrew Bellis and Gordon Bailey in the late 1980's. After he died in 1994 his workshop contents were sold at Sotheby's London, 1/11/1994. He was an individual, mildly eccentric, but lovely man.

great info here!

how did you learn all of this? i assume you knew him?

 

[AlcalaBass]

I don't know much on the maker, but the few bows that I've tried in the last few years have all been amazing. You're lucky to have one.

 

[Bowmaker]

Belated reply to OldBows and Groooooove. I did meet Percival Wilfred Bryant (they don't make names like that any more!). He kept himself to himself and appeared to be a well kept secret in the playing profession (it was not easy to locate his address or telephone number, and though he loved meeting players and makers, he hated violin dealers). After his bass bow making had peaked (after all, there are only so many that are needed) he transferred to making perfect copies of 'period' bows in snakewood (or any other appropriate timber) and those are much loved by their owners. PWB knew more about that than any other bow maker working at the time (late 1960's/70's) or even now. His house - a self built bungalow - was in a beautiful setting; he had been what was called a 'plotlander' just before WW2, buying a plot of land economically (!) and then putting up whatever he liked. This was before the Town and Country Planning Act put a stop to that. On the end he built a fully glazed conservatory, and that's where he made his bows, needing the natural light. It's all demolished now. All his workshop contents were auctioned, and in there were a lot of parts for bows yet to be assembled/completed, and I have seen two bass bows come to auction that are definitely made by other hands. Easily spotted - they get the angle of the 'cant' at the corner of the nut (frog) wrong - it isn't 45 degrees.
PW Bryant was the first successful production bow maker to work outside London and he deserves much more appreciation, but because of his attitude to the trade (fully understandable, and I have much the same feelings) that will probably not happen for a long time!