Bernardel père

Auguste Sébastien Philippe Bernardel, known as “Bernardel père,” was born in Mirecourt on January 24, 1798, and died in Bougival in 1870. He completed his apprenticeship in Mirecourt before joining the workshop of Nicolas Lupot in Paris around 1820. After Lupot’s death in 1824, he worked for Charles François Gand, before establishing his own workshop in 1826. He first set up on rue de la Coquillère in Paris, then moved to 23 rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, and later to 21 of the same street. Before fully settling in Paris, he is said to have produced instruments for provincial dealers, including pieces labeled “Bernardel élève de Gand / chez Boniface à Montpellier / 1825”. His instruments include copies of Antonio Stradivari, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, and Giuseppe Guarneri. They are noted for a thick brown and red varnish and a generally good sound quality. His cellos are considered his finest instruments. He received the bronze medal in 1839 in Paris, the silver medal in 1844, and the gold medal in 1849.