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MMD > Archives > March 1998 > 1998.03.13 > 14Prev  Next


Ruth Band Organs in the U.S.
By Hans van Oost

Dear MMers,

Thanks to Mr. Olsen I am in contact with Mrs. Largent, who has done
a fine job in managing the restoration of a Charles Looff Caroussel in
Riverfront Park, Spokane. With this caroussel is a Ruth band organ, style
36 (78 keyless). It is one of the 34 or 36 organs that were exported to
the US. I am very curious about any other remaining organs, or the fate
of the others. I have included a list of the organs :

 Organs delivered by A. Ruth, Waldkirch, Germany, to the USA
(source: H. Voigt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

NR    Date     Year Model Ownership

1     March    1906 36    Charles I.D. Looff, New York; now with Mrs Largent
2     August   1906 38    Hirdt, exported in 1953 to Harry Beach, South Carolina
2     March    1907 38    Charles I.D. Looff, New York
4     February 1908 38    Rohweder Muenchen, exported to USA (to whom?)
5     June     1908 36    Gruenenwald, Bingen (GER). Exported 1975 to William Soper, North Carolina
6-7   April    1910 33 2x August Berni Organ Co. New York
8     April    1910 34    G. Hoffbert (GER), export 1911 to Berni Organ Co. New York
9     August   1910 36    William A. Meissner (9 Mann Orchester, now with Mr. McDonaugh in the USA)
10-14 November 1910 33 4x August Berni Organ Co. New York
15    March    1911 36    Wilhelm Bruehl, Ulm (GER), exported 1911 to August Berni Organ Co. New York
16    April    1911 33    August Berni Organ Co. New York
17    May      1911 36    William H. Dentzel, Caroussels and Organs - 3641 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia
18-19 November 1911 33 2x August Berni Organ Co. New York
20    November 1911 37    August Berni Organ Co. New York
21    March    1912 38    Charles I.D. Looff, New York
22    September1912 38    Charles I.D. Looff, New York
23-25 January  1913 33 3x August Berni Organ Co. New York
26-31 December 1913 33 6x August Berni Organ Co. New York
32    May      1914 38    Charles I.D. Looff, New York
33    June     1914 33    August Berni Organ Co. New York
34    January  1923 33    Ferrari USA
35    April    1924 36    CV Dubois, Sandy Beach, USA (could be only music)
36    April    1924 33    CV Dubois, Sandy Beach, USA (could be only music)

One organ of style 38 (nr 21?)was destroyed in a fire at Charles Looff's
caroussell in Ocean Park, California.

Another Ruth organ style 38 is now in the Netherlands. After having
been converted to Wurlitzer 165 rolls it was sold to Venezuela, then to
Spain, and was bought in 1975 by Mr. Hinzen, a Dutch showman. It has
been restored to its original condition by Mr. Voigt in Frankfurt, Germany.

I would welcome any reactions or questions.

Cheers!

Hans van Oost (please remove .geentroep from my address; it is a Dutch
spam blocker (-;

 [ Hans,   I like this better than .nospam.  I'm going to try it
 [ for all the addresses here today.   --jody


(Message sent Sat 14 Mar 1998, 14:21:03 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Band, Organs, Ruth, U.S

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