Antonio Gerardi
The Man.
Gordon McKay
The Myth.
McKay’s name today graces 40 Harvard professorships, numerous fellowships, and a building. He made a fortune in shoe machinery and gave it all (now grown to half a billion dollars) to support applied sciences at the University. His inventiveness, shrewdness, cultural ambitions, and complex love life all helped shape the foundations of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. (Read the full article here.)
Antonio Stradivari
The Legend.
Antonio Stradivari (c. 1644–1737) was an Italian master violin maker from Cremona, widely regarded as the greatest luthier in history. Working during the golden age of Italian instrument making, he built violins, violas, and cellos whose craftsmanship, tone, and projection became legendary, and his instruments, known as Stradivarius, remain among the most prized and sought-after violins in the world today. ( Read more here.)
Stradivarius
The authentication journey of this 1737 McKay Stradivarius violin took over 10 years, involving extensive research, expert analysis and professional consultation. The ACV (actual cash value) assessed by Lloyd’s of London September 2025 was 10 million USD, proof positive of authenticity and valuation. Its journey reminds us that history is not always found in museums, sometimes it‘s waiting to be rediscovered...