84-key Mortier Dance Hall Organ Sold
By Robbie Rhodes
Nothing gets your attention like a FRENCH POSTCARD featuring a HUGE ORGAN!
The lithographed color photo shows a gigantic Mortier dance hall organ, with the announcement that it will be sold at public auction on 12 April, 1996, in Saint-Baldoph, Chambery (in the French Alps). Visible amongst all the rococo carving of the white and gilt facade is a large saxophone (fake), tall metal organ pipes (probably fake), and an accordion (probably real).
Our member Philippe Rouille was an expert advisor present at the auction. He writes:
"The 84-Key Mortier Organ was sold last week for 225.000 FF. After premium and taxes, that is just under 250.000 FF. The sale was below the estimated 300k/400k, but
1) the market is very lazy at the moment;
2) the instrument was very big (almost 18 feet high), and needed
a good revision [rebuilding], and
3) Chambery is a bit far away ... but it would have been quite a
job to move the organ elsewhere!"
My French skills are meager, so here is the descriptive text in French from the postcard I received, including the description of a "barrel piano" also auctioned. (US-standard character set on the PC. I hope that the accented-e and -a characters survive the e-mail journey!)
"Spectaculaire orgue de danse Mortier"
"84 touches, plus de 400 tuyaux, dbut de sicle, avec qualques transformations ultrieures (dont adjonction d'un accorden et d'un saxophone). 12 registres, 22 notes au chant, 18 au contrechant, 10 l'accompagnement, 8 basses, percussions. Trs belle faade sculpte et peinte. Rpertoire sur cartons anciens et modernes (Paul Eynard), environ 2 heures. L'ensemble fonctionne, mais ncessite une rvision gnrale.
Dimensions: environ largeur 8,50 m, hauteur 5,50 m, profondeur 2 m. Se d'monte en plusieurs parties pour le transport (plus gros bloc: env. 215 x 215 x 100 cm). Dmontage et transport la charge de l'acheteur. Assistance possible d'un technicien sur place.
Il sera galement vendu un piano mcanique cylindre, vers 1920, Manufacture da Buisson Rond Chanbry, <<Savoy's Jazz>>, hauteur 1,89 m, largeur 1,25 m. Il fonctionne, mais rviser. Tambour, cymbales, tambourin, woodblock, 4 cloches. 3 gros cylindres 10 airs chacun."
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(Message sent Sun 21 Apr 1996, 01:49:23 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.) |
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