1717 Stradivarius Violin – 'ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner'

This image marks a significant milestone in the Architecture in Music series: the first photograph ever taken of the interior of a Stradivarius violin.

The instrument is the 'ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner', a 1717 from Stradivari's golden period, named after two of its distinguished former owners—Theodor Hämmerle, the Viennese industrialist and collector, and Rudolf Baumgartner, the Swiss conductor and founder of the Lucerne Festival Strings. Today, this outstanding violin continues its legacy in performance, played by celebrated Australian violinist Daniel Dodds, Artistic Director of the Lucerne Festival Strings.

1717 Stradivarius 'ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner', Front & Rear, photograph by Charles Brooks

The photograph was created using two custom-adapted medical endoscopes mounted on a Lumix camera, inserted carefully through the violin’s endpin. The final image is composed of 257 individual frames, precisely blended to capture the instrument’s full internal architecture in crystal-clear focus. The immersive sense of space is achieved through wide-angle composition, deep depth of field, and carefully designed lighting.

Charles Brooks photographing the Stradivarius. Note the endoscope attached to the camera.

An unusual view of Stradivari's original lable, seen with a 30 degree 5mm Laparoscope

This work was made possible thanks to the trust and support of many. Special thanks to Daniel Dodds and the Festival Strings Lucerne foundation for granting access to the instrument; luthier Rainer Beilharz, who delicately disassembled and reassembled the violin between performances; the Australian World Orchestra for facilitating the collaboration; and Tomasz Trzebiatowski for championing the project from the beginning.

Violinist Daniel Dodds, left, and photographer Charles Brooks, right.