John Joseph WALLO

WALLO, John Joseph Born 1889 Lalit Hungary, Worked from 1933 Ellerson, Virginia USA. Active maker from 1898. Emigrated to the USA 1906. Worked as a violinist in New Jersey, then in Varina, Virginia 1926 before settling in Ellerson, Virginia 1933. Established as a full-time professional there, later assisted by two sons Joseph and Paul. Two models, a low-arched Stradivari and a high-arched Stainer, labelled as 'Wallo Flat (Strad)’ and ‘Wallo High (Stainer)’, with distinctively shaped soundholes. About 70 instruments completed using commercial varnish and local materials.