László (Ladislaus) Hidy (1928/1945)

László (Ladislaus) Hidy (born around 1887) was a twentieth-century Hungarian violin maker who worked in Budapest. He trained at the Hungarian State School of Violin Making under G. Várady and belonged to a generation of makers who carried on the traditional Hungarian craft. According to the available sources, Hidy worked as a violin maker on a part-time basis; his instruments nevertheless appear regularly on the international art and auction market. He built mainly after classical Italian models and provided his instruments with labels in Latin or Hungarian. Documented works include instruments from 1937 and 1957, which attest to his continuous activity in Budapest.

Ludovicus (Lajos) Kovács (1891–1970) is among the recognised representatives of modern Budapest violin making. After training with Ferenc Bikszegi he passed his journeyman's examination in 1920 and subsequently worked in several renowned workshops, including those of András Bergmann, Otó Zimmer and Strenberg. In 1928 he opened his own workshop in Budapest. His instruments follow classical Italian models for the most part and are distinguished by clean workmanship, carefully selected tonewoods and high-quality spirit varnishes. Besides violins, he also made violas, cellos and double basses.

This double bass carries both labels: the label of László Hidy (Budapest, 1928/41) and a later label by Ludovicus Kovács dated 1945. That combination is unusual and may point to a completion, a later reworking or a change of workshop — a provenance that is remarkable from the perspective of violin-making history.