To: automatic-music@foxtail.com
J >Jim Weisenborne. reproducing pipe organs.
J >rare opportunity to see the¶
J >two world-famous pipe organs: the Kimball Ballroom organ (with a Kimball¶
J >player) and the monster auditorium organ, the giant Midmer-Losh, 7¶
J >manual, 300+ rank instrument.
Wow! The largest pipe organ I've had the privilege of visting was
the Wannamaker in Philadelphia. However, I understand that a
large multinational conglomerate has acquired the Wannamaker
department store, and in the sole interests of profits, maintenance
of this organ has been struck from the budget. Anybody got any
current news on the fate of this organ?
The strangest residential pipe organ I've seen was in Calgary
where I found someone living in a conventional 3 bedroom bungalow
with a 3 story basement housing a huge pipe organ under construction.
The home was part of a subdivision constructed on the slope of a hill
and his sewer line, being 3 story's deep, is connected to the sewer
mains 2 blocks down the slope of the hill! The entire installation
was an amazing engineering feat. I wonder if John Musselwhite in
Calgary has any further knowledge of the state of this organ.......
At the 1979 AMICA Convention in Philadelphia, at the open houses
following, I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting Jesse
Macartney home in Narberth. He too has a big 3/35 Skinner crammed
into his home, and the recollection that stands out in my memory
was the amazing experience of standing inside the middle of the
basement totally surrounded by pipes in performance. Enough to
blow your hat off! The basement stairs were full of people just
sitting there enjoying the thrill of being enveloped and
surrounded by pipe organ music. Quite an experience.
When Bob Dumas in Long Lake, MN (Minneapolis) retired some years
ago, he and Kathryn built "The Great Hall" onto their home in
a beautiful apple orchard. Bob is an incredibly talented hi-energy
person who always a number of major projects on the go every time
we visit. But in "The Great Hall" addition, they have their
fine collection of automatic musical instruments, along with a
3/12 theatre pipe organ. A neat touch in this wonderful display
is a model railway completely surrounding all 4 walls about 7 feet
high, and threading through the pipe chamber of the organ. Every
visit there is memorable!
Any other nifty pipe organ experiences out there?
Regards,¶
¶
Terry
•Terry Smythe Sounds of Yesteryear
55 Rowand Avenue Restoration and enjoyment of vintage
Winnipeg, Manitoba automatic musical instruments.
Canada R3J 2N6
204) 832-3982 email: smythe@mbnet.mb.ca
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