Otto A. Hoyer violin bow

Otto Albert Hoyer (1889-1966) is the most renowned member of the Hoyer family of violin and bow makers from Markneukirchen, Germany active during the 19th and early 20th centuries. After an apprenticeship in Markneukirchen, Hoyer moved to Paris to study with Eugène Sartory, earning the nickname "Pariser" (The Parisian), with which he would habitually stamp his bows to reflect his French training, and perhaps also to distinguish from other makers with the Hoyer family name. As a longtime assistant to Sartory, Otto Hoyer incorporated Sartory's unique playing qualities into his own bows, which were very popular among prominent string players of his time.