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Moehlmann and Dutch Street Organs
By Bob Conant

In a message dated 97-03-14 01:21:20 EST, Doug Mauldin writes:

> My own earliest exposure to Dutch street organ music was through a
> record album titled "Dutch Band Organ" which features an instrument
> with a nameplate that says "H. Mohlmann."  By now I suspect that this
> is a private label; of all the organ-builders mentioned on this list
> and in the reference material I have found, I see no mention of a
> Mohlmann or Mollmann or any name close to those.

Doug,

Henk Mohlmann was the great great grandson of Old Blind Leon Warnies
who started the street organ rental business in Amsterdam. Henk was
still in the organ business in the 1950's and 1960's (and probably
beyond). I don't know of any organs he built from scratch but he
repaired and modified many organs.  My own Wilhelm Bruder Sohne organ,
while in the possession of Joseph Hofnagels was repaired several times
by Henk Mohlmann and his signature with dates is found inside several
of my components including the main chest and pumps. He was also
something of a wheeler dealer and would buy, sell and broker organs for
owners and renters. I have a copy of the same recording and I could not
tell you who originally built the organ but undoubtedly it was
refurbished at some time by Henk Mohlmann and it had his name on it at
them time the picture was taken.

As far as who arranged the music, Carl Frei was probably most famous,
Deventer, Van Boxtel and a number of others who were arranging street
organ music in the 50's and 60's could have had a hand in the
arrangements.

Hope this helps,

Bob Conant¶
Endicott, NY

(Message sent Sat, 22 Mar 1997 14:19:00 -0500 (EST) , from time zone -0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Dutch, Moehlmann, Organs, Street

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1997.03.22.10 (This article) - Moehlmann and Dutch Street Organs
from Bob Conant
1997.03.17.02 - Moehlmann Name on Dutch Street Organ
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1997.03.16.01 - H. Moehlmann and Dutch Street Organs
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