Jed, since you are a professional luthier and a true connoisseur all forms of data gathering and storage would only heighten the knowledge of those seeking information from a highly competent honest source. This is of paramount importance in promulgating interest towards historical and not so historical stringed instruments of all kinds. Would also create great interest in your abilities as a maker, restorer, appraiser, your forums website and new auction services.
A worldwide effort to translate many valuable manuscripts and photographic archives to digital format has been underway for a long time, GOOGLE playing a major role. I think your ideas to ask for suggestions, informational input and sorting it out is a wonderful thing! The effort would be time consuming, entailing no small expenditure. Access to the assimilated information being justified by paid subscriptions, as other internet violin related data bases require.
Additionally, to my mind there is nothing more fun than to do side by side photographic comparisions of instruments by the same maker, their followers, soi~disant (self speaking) instruments that have yet to be properly recognized, identified, and recorded. The magnificent Ferdinando Ferdinandus being a recent prime example. People want and need to learn how to recognize these masters work and can learn if presented with the right educational opportunity. It is an humbling thought to even stand in the shadow of someone who can teach this knowledge. You, Jed, are the leader. Take us where you want to go, we will follow.
