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estebanana -> RE: Eugene Clark contact (Aug. 28 2016 12:42:44)
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It looks like Tom published Gene's private number and email right up front so you may as well call him and ask your question. I'd stock up on Skype minutes and call via Skype to his private number other wise prepare for a long and expensive trans Atlantic phone call.
The New Yorker Magazine has an editorial fact checking office that is world famous for tenaciousness in fact proofing the manuscripts of writers who contribute essays to the magazine. If only every magazine had such exacting standards. There is a lot of murky water covering the actual history of the early Spanish guitar makers of Torres' vintage, not because scholarship is lacking, but because facts and primary sources are few. So the research by comparison model has arisen to answer many of the questions about guitar making practice, and measurement is one of the things that can be elucidated by comparison to the furniture and carpentry crafts by virtue that all three forms of work involve basically the same wood working tools.
I'll reserve comment as I've never read the 2007 essay that Clark wrote for the GAL publication. It was ten years prior to the essay that I was with him as a student, although we did talk extensively about these ideas. I think the ideas and time lines you frame out are correct; the metric system was introduced to Spain mid 19th century, but it mainly effected industry that was traded internationally, like textile manufacture in Barcelona. The South of Spain and remote non urban regions were slower to standardize and much of Spain did not come into full compliance with the metric system until well into the 20th century.
It's accepted among those who are studied in this topic, the tool kits of 19th century Spanish builders, that the best tools were coming from England and reaching Spain though the southern ports were there was a long established trade in tools, orange marmalade, wool and other goods between England and ports such as Valencia. The English inch demarcated on the rulers and tool designs of the English brands were considered very fine quality and sought after by the fine craftsmen of Spain, the "ebony workers." As for were Eugene dug up the reference to the Pied du Roi, either I have forgotten that a long time ago or he had not cooked up that idea when we were knee deep in measurement talk. I suggest contacting either Clark of the New Yorker Magazine Office of Fact Checking. Please forward ant tidbits of information concerning the whereabouts of the kings foot. It may in fact be lodged in the kings mouth.
The three living sources I have found to be the most knowledgeable on this subject of toolage of the 19th century guitarreros etc are Jose Romanillos book on Torres, Eugene Clark, and R.E. Brune' respectively. I don't know Romanillos personally, but I have read his book very critically and carefully. The reading of that book and Clark's rundown of the solera method area pretty good grounding in that way of working and would thus inform the reader on which tools were needed for a 19th century guitar maker. But here is where it gets complicated, because neither Romanillos nor Eugene, as much as I owe a great debt to his teaching, tell the full story. There's more and R.E. Brune' has more information to add, which points to Spanish builders' practices that indicate more variation in working methods between builders. I hope Brune' writes more, but his contributions to Vintage Guitar magazine have much value in terms of fleshing out more Spanish builders history.
However if a kings foot is lost to history, or it's a false story, not to worry. remember what Beethoven said about kings. "There are many kings, but only one Beethoven. "
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