Where can I see the old instruments online?

Thanks to the internet, we can all take a close look at the classic old Italian instruments.   This wasn't so easy in the past.


Detailed pictures of classical Italian instruments abound on the web.    Some are only published for a time, for example instruments up for auction.  Others are in permanent collections.   Some images can be seen for free, while others sources charge a fee for access.

Here's a quick guide to great instruments on the web:

• Permanent collections with extensive free image access:
• Library of Congress Instrument Collection
• MET Instrument Collection
• National Music Museum
• Royal Academy of Music
• Henry Ford Violin Collection
• Ingles & Hayday Four Centuries Instrument Collection

• Browsable free sources with pictures of great instruments:
• Maestronet's Pegbox forum
• Flickr
• Photobucket
• Il Portale di Violino (Italian maker's forum)
• Chinanet (Chinese language violin forum)
• Pinterest

• Collections with pay access to high quality or extensive images:
• Luthier's Library
• Tarisio Instrument Auctions (includes the old Cozio database)