Organ Update 17
UPDATE Compiled by Boz Oram
boz@historyinharmony.com
www.historyinharmony.com
Welcome to Update Number 17 – and a big welcome to all of the new people who are on the Update, plus of course the many regular members that have been with me from the early days. Thank you also for your continued support and please keep passing this update around.
Linda and I have just returned back from the excellent Mechanical Music Festival in Waldkirch, down there in the Black Forest in Germany, plus a few other superb collections in Switzerland and France. Interestingly enough, I have received so much feedback from the many people to whom I spoke, saying that they are pleased to receive information about other people’s hobbies and pastimes especially as it really is a small world and we can make it a lot smaller, just by talking to each other.
I will do a write up for the Update on this tour as I have been asked, but at the moment it is quite long and needs to be shortened down to a more manageable size for you to read!
Surfing the Web
Looking for websites in places other than Europe and the US, I decided to put Steam Japan as a heading for the search engine on my computer. What came back was a less than encouraging. Just people in this country (UK) who sold model steam trains or similar bits and pieces, but nothing actually in Japan. Now I remember that back in the 70’s a Garrett steam tractor was exported there and used to make a plastic toy that then returned back here in the shape of a plastic modeller’s steam roller and showman’s tractor so thought that something ought to be posted on the internet, but it seemed to be no such luck. Couldn’t get anywhere, except to say that there is a bit of steam railway but you really have to look for it. I then decided to put Mechanical music Japan in to the search engine and came up with much more and came across this one in Japan www.izu.fm. It’s not surprising though, that you get more success with mechanical organs as a lot more effort has gone into promoting this subject especially as Henk Veeningen from Holland and Hansjörg Leible from Germany supply many mechanical instruments to customers in this country. The Izu Orgel Museum is located at Izukogen on the Izu peninsular and if you are going by train takes a five-minute walk from the Izukogen station, and if I read it right, Tetsu Hirasawa runs the whole complex. Address 1191-1 Yawatano, Ito-city, 413-0232, Japan.
From Des Lang out in Australia
Further to the woodworm article in the last edition…….
Dear Boz, there is another way that can be used to kill those pesky varmits and that is to shove the item into a plastic bag and stick the item into a freezer for a week or longer if it is bulky. Depending upon what size it is, then if it is too big, then a bit of grovelling to your friendly grocer or supermarket to see if that they can put it into their freezer room, again for a week plus may be in order.
Here at the Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne do this to all articles including paper and cloth just to make sure that all the bugs are killed.
Regards Des Lang.
Jukeboxes and mechanical stuff
The thought of a coin-operated jukebox being a modern invention must be quite high on the list of thought, however do think again. The idea dates back at least 2000 years to the ancient Greeks. They invented a water-powered organ operated by a five-drachma coin.
From that point, the modern eruption of machines operated by coins that were designed for us to part with our hard-earned cash, began in the Victorian era where the chance of winning a jackpot, or maybe a glimpse of what the Butler saw or even to health giving electrical shocks. Its amazing what people will do to part with their money as you’ll see these things in virtually every pub or bar in the land promising so much. Electrics have taken over from the old mechanical machines, however if you get the opportunity, do go to either Carters Fairground or find John Morley’s arcades and you can still play with relics from a bygone era and show up the younger generation on how to really enjoy yourself.
One of the more unusual types of automatic machine was a Robot Gypsy Queen that was invented in 1910 and for one old Penny, the gypsy’s mechanical assistant handed you a blank piece of paper which you signed and then handed back to the Gypsy Queen and placed in her pocket - it was then returned with your fortune written upon it. Of course the pocket contained a chemical and activated invisible ink already contained on the piece of paper. In the past (and maybe nowadays too) slot machines have also been abused (take the parking meter for an example!), however sometimes they are able to return the favour. Somewhere on the Isle of Wight at an amusement resort, the suspended ball of a -*test*-('") your punch machine was severely struck by one opponent, that it rebounded back and knocked out the assailant, him needing hospital treatment!
Carousels in Germany
Brian and Jean Steptoe, National Carousel Association members are planning a carousel tour to Germany in June 2006 for seven days, starting and finishing in Frankfurt. It is to be an all-inclusive tour with emphasis on enjoyment and encouragement to carousel and related museum operators at the locations visited. The tour will meet a number of well-known restorers and historians as well as riding machines from possibly the oldest machine in the world dating from 1780 right up to more modern original examples with places such as the Schaustellermuseum in Essen and the historic fair in Aachen, the Hayner-Reitschul carousel, plus carvings by Poeppig and Lengle, the Demeyer salon Carousel plus a whole host more including the collections in Munich. The tour will also include scenic routes, wine trails, medieval villages and of course, what would this world be coming to if a couple of beer gardens weren’t included! Further details as and when they become available from tours@historyinharmony.com or from Brian Steptoe at bsteptoe@compuserve.com This tour is a fantastic opportunity of seeing the country as well as enjoying a superb part of the restoration process.
Following on from Update #16, I have further information on the London Eye…
London Eye saved from closure?
By David Browne: LONDON (eTurboNews) -- The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has stepped in to the row that had threatened the city’s star tourist attraction, the London Eye. The landowners of the site beside the River Thames are demanding a huge rent rise. The London Eye has proved to be a big draw for tourists since its inception as a landmark to mark the 2000 Millennium, and it is featured on publicity literature for London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
London newspaper The Evening Standard, launched a campaign to save the London Eye from eviction from its prime site close to the Houses of Parliament and the South Bank arts centre. The campaign has been backed by politicians, celebrities and tourism officials, but when an offer was made by a French company to buy the attraction – the biggest observational wheel in the world – with plans to dismantle it and re-erect it in Paris, the London mayor intervened. He gave a warning to the landowners, the South Bank Centre, that he would use his legal powers to make a compulsory purchase order on the land if the crisis over rents was not resolved.
Livingstone called for the resignation of the chairman of SBC, businessman Lord Hollick, a close associate of Prime Minister Tony Blair. “Now with the bid from France to take over the London Eye and park it in the middle of Paris for their Olympic bid. SBC has demanded a rise in annual rent from £65,000 to £2.5 million, a sum that the London’s owners, British Airways, say is uneconomic. Livingstone called it a ridiculous rent demand that had provoked a fiasco. “The simple reality is that were such a demand to be agreed, it would simply be passed on to tourists,” he said.
A spokesman for the London 2012 Olympic bid committee said “It is interesting that Paris should want to cash in on giving a home to such an iconic London landmark.” (**)
Looking at Live 8 this last weekend, I saw the London Eye in the distance, so hopefully reason has prevailed.
Haarlem Kunkelstiching Holland
Just a reminder about this excellent collection of musical instruments. Open every Sunday, this year included with their own brilliant selection of organs, they also are holding special events where some guest organs will be presented. On the 3rd July de Cementmolen, 10th July de Wimmies and finally, 17th July de Engelbak. www.draaiorgelmuseum.org/ for further information
Rededication of the SS Shieldhall
It not often that you have the chance to go to such a special event such as this, and for such a vessel of good service. Linda and I were invited by the Solent Steam Packet Ltd to the re-dedication ceremony to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of this magnificent steamship’s life at the City Cruise Terminal 101 berth, Southampton Eastern Docks. The dock terminal is imposing enough to find a packed throng of people waiting to get onto the ship. Shortly after arriving, we were ushered onto the vessel to the melodious sounds of the Bournemouth Male Voice Choir to then once aboard, see the Revd W McCrea leading the rededication service with the hymn O God our help in ages Past followed by a reading from Psalm 107 23-31; the dedication and blessing and the seafarer’s hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save. Chairman of the Solent Steam Packet Ltd, Mr Barry Eagles then introduced the Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Edwina Cooke and the Admiral of the Port of Southampton. The Mayor then rededicated the Shieldhall with the Sea Cadets from Northampton performing the colours. The ship left port and was escorted by a number of classic vessels and followed with a water display courtesy of Adsteam Towage Ltd out towards the Isle of Wight. A most excellent buffet lunch was served up with silver service and many prominent guests were on board including Sir W H McAlpine plus dignitaries of Southampton’s commerce. I must say that the whole event was quite exceptional and if you want to know more, then please look at the website www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk
Is this really the 21st century?
Lake dredging by steam in the 21st century is not really that different to lake dredging in the 19th and 20th century. Just need two steam engines and a scoop – the difference being that diggers and dozers are used to move the spoil instead of using many horses. I’ve just had a day’s (Friday 10th June) dredging on the engines and have realised how unfit I really am! I am in the process of writing an article to be published in due course when I make sure that the facts right, hence the need to get out there and do the job again. The last time I did this was some 15 plus years ago and of course I was that little but younger and manages to secure a mortgage on the back of it - it really is quite a fascinating way to earn a living. Who said that just because its old means that you can’t still use it to do a day’s (or in this case a few weeks) work.
I keep on being asked where you can join up with different societies. Well with a whole lot of trawling around the Net, I have come up with these. The list is from the mechanical Music World, which seems to be a lot more switched on than any other group so if you can point me in the right direction for steam, commercial, boats, cars, windmills or anything else that might interest you, and other people, then please send them to me and I’ll pass them on.
Holland –
Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden (KDV)
Secretary and Webmaster : Dr. Hans van Oost
Naaldwijkseweg 262
NL-2691 PW 's-Gravenzande, Netherlands
E-mail : secr@draaiorgel.org
Journal : Het Pierement
Editor : Tom Meijer
Wilgenstraat 24
NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands
e-mail: editor@draaiorgel.org
Internet : www.draaiorgel.org
Nederlandse Klokkenspel Vereniging, NKV
Netherlands Carillon Society (1918)
Secretary: Hylke Banning,
G.J. van Heekstraat 292, 7521 EL ENSCHEDE, The Netherlands.
Tel./fax: +31 (0)53 4350672 (evenings) or +31 (0)53 4836307 (daytime).
e-mail: hylke.banning@nci.nl
Nederlandse Pianola Vereniging (NPV) (1975)
Journal : Pianola Bulletin
Kortedijk 10,
2871 CB Schoonhoven, Netherlands.
Secr.: Jan ten Horn,
Eikendreef 24,
5342 HR OSS.
The Netherlands
International Vintage Phonograph & Mechanical Music Society
Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Secretary : Kees Nijsen
Italy
AMMI Associazione Italiana Musica Meccanica
President - Franco Severi
President onorario Antonio Latanza
Tel/fax : +39 547 34 60 46
Web pages :
www.ammi-mm.it
www.pianomelodico.com
France
AAIMM (Association des Amis des Instruments de Musique Mécanique)
Journal: Musiques Mécaniques Vivantes,
Président: Pierre-André Jouglet,
14, allée de la Croix-Noailles,
F-78250-Meulan
Tel-Fax : +33 (0)1 53 26 72 99
Présentation en français, in English und auf Deutsch : www.aaimm.org
Ritournelles et manivelles
176 rue Pelleport, 75020 Paris
Tel./Fax : 33 (0)1 43 58 47 38
Site web : http://site.voila.fr/ritournelles/index.html
Cie Manivelle & P'tits Trous :
http://manivelle.org
L'orchestre de Machines à Coudre Musicales
http://orguesbarbares.free.fr (this one for sewing machines I think)
Société Française de Campanologie (SFC)
Cloches et Carillons/Bells and Carillons/Glocken und Glockenspiele
Journal: Patrimoine Campanaire
President: M. Eric Sutter
41 bis Avenue de Charlebourg
F-92250 La Garenne Colombes
FRANCE
Fax: +33 01 47 85 80 32
http://campanologie.free.fr
Compagnie Manivelles et Petits trous
Le Martineix
87460 Bujaleuf (France)
tel. +33 05 55 69 56 14
fax. +33 05 55 69 55 60
Perforons la musique,
Journal: Les Cahiers de Perforons
27, rue Labat de Savignac,
F-31500 Toulouse
Les Fadas de la musique mécanique
Président: André David
Gamet Sud, F-47240 Bon-Encontre
Tel/Fax: +33 (0)5 53 96 92 93
AAAPJA (Association des Amis des Automates, Poupées et Jouets anciens)
Journal: Coppélia
Président: Christian Bailly,
1, rue du Dahomey,
F-75011 Paris
Australia
Australian Collectors of Mechanical Musical Instruments
19 Waipory Street,
St. Ives NSW 2075
http://www.zip.com.au/~job
Mechanical Music Society of Australia Inc.
Norman Stallard
41 The Highway
MT. WAVERLY 3149
Victoria Australia
Australian Mechanical Organ Society Coop. Ltd. (AMOS)
Secretary : Ralph Meyer remeyer@bigpond.com
AMOS Web site : http://homepage.mac.com/ozorgans/
Germany
Gesellschaft für Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente e.V. (GSM)
Revue/Journal : Das Mechanische Musikinstrument
President : Ralf Smolne
Schriftführer: Bernhard Haeberle
redaktion@musica-mechanica.de
www.geocities.com/Vienna/2831/Gsmev.htm
www.musica-mechanica.de
Club Deutscher Drehorgelfreunde e. V. (CDD)
Revue/Journal : Das Drehorgel
President : Wilfried Hömmerich,
An der Düne 47
53119 Bonn-Tannenbusch
Tel. +49 (0)2 28/66 94 82
Fax: +49 (0)2 28/66 49 91
E-mail: cdd@gmx.de
www.drehorgelclub.de/
Internationalen Drehorgelfreunde Berlin e.V.
President: Dr Dietmar Jarofke
Journal seit 1987: "Der Leierkasten"
Japan
There is no National Japanese Collector's association. However many Japanese collectors are members of the American MBSI (USA) and have agreed to form the 11th regional "Chapter" of the MBSI.
Contact:
Murakami, Taizou
Toneyama 2-5-58-203, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka-fu, 560-0045 Japan
Tel/fax.: +81 6 6845 8628
Email : murakami@ops.dti.ne.jp
Switzerland
Schweizerischer Verein der Freunde Mechanischer Musik,
Redaktionadresse : Gallus Oberholzer,
Rickenstr. 4,
CH-8730 Uznach
Info: info@sfmm.ch
www.sfmm.ch/ *
CABAM (Conservatoire Autonome des Boîtes à Musique),
Journal, (1 par an)
Etienne Blyelle,
11, Bd du Pont d`Arve,
CH-1205 Genève
USA
Music Box Society International (MBSI)
Journal of mechanical music (2 per year) + News Bulletin magazines (6 per year),
President : Ralph Schack.
Editor : Rosanna Harris.
New membership/dues : MBSI, Box 297, Marietta, OH 45750
www.mbsi.org
Automatic Musical Instrument Collector's Association (AMICA)
President : Dan Brown
Membership secretary : Bill Chapman
53685 Avenida Bermudas, La Quinta, CA, 92253-3586, USA
Journal : Amica news bulletin
Mike Barnhart, 919 Lantern Glow Trail,
Dayton, OH 45431, USA
Some information on URL : www.amica.org/
American Band Organ Association (ABOA)
Kenneth Smith
3766 Mann Rd.
Blacklick, OH 43004
National Carousel Association (NCA)
To join: Terry Blake, Exec. Sec., NCA,
PO Box 4333, Evansville, IN 47724-0333.
www.nca-usa.org
Carousel Organ Association of America (COAA)
"Devoted to outdoor mechanical musical instruments of all types".
"Receive four issues of the "Carousel Organ"
To join: Marge Waters, 7552 Beach Road, Wadworth, OH 44281, USA
www.carouselorganassociation.org/.
Great Britain
Music Box Society (MBSGB)
Journal : The Musical Box
Membership and correspondance :
Alan Wyatt,
MBSGB, PO Box N° 299
Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB4 4DT
Great Britain
www.mbsgb.org.uk/
E-mail: mbsgb@reedman.org.uk
Fair Organ Preservation Society (FOPS),
President, Don Robinson ; Chairman : Peter Haywood
Journal : The Key Frame
Editor : David Smith, e-mail : editor@fops.org.
Membership secretary and distribution : J. M. Page
43, Woolmans, Fullers Slade, Milton Keynes,
MK11 2BA, England
www.fops.org/
E-mail: memsec@fops.org
Mechanical Organ Owners Society (MOOS)
Journal : Vox Humana
Chairman: Mr John Glover
Newsletter Editor: Mr Jeremy Brice
3 Cole Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
HP 21 8SU
Tel: +44 (0)1296 338671
Members Publicity and address for correspondence :
Robert Wichall
27, Silvergate,
Blicking, Norwich NR11 6NNL.
Telephone: (+44) (0)1263 732776
E-mail: info@moos.org.uk
www.moos.org.uk/
The Player Piano Group
Membership Secretary,
George Fleming,
2 St. Giles Barton,
Hillesley,
Gloucestershire,
GL12 8RG, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1453 521568
E-mail: fleming@steck.demon.co.uk
www.playerpianogroup.org.uk/
Northwest Player Piano Association
Journal : Northwest Player Piano
Everson Whittle, 47 Raikes Rd.
UK-Preston PR1 5EQ Lancashire, England
British Organ Grinders Association
Fondée-Established-Begründet 1991, Peter Churchard, president.
Membership secretary :
Tony York
45, Ling Road
Chesterfield
Derbyshire S40 3HT England
Tel. +44 01246 23 16 08
Quarterly journal : Organ grinders news
http://members.aol.com/orgrinders/
The Pianola Institute (founded in 1984 by Denis Hall and Rex Lawson)
43, Great Percy Street
London WC1X 9RA
UK
Publications : the Pianola Journal (annual) and also a Friend's newsletter.
www.pianola.org
The Friends of the Pianola Institute
Info and membership: Mike Davies
Fenny Compton Wharf
Royal Leamington Spa
Warks CV33 0XE
UK
www.pianola.org
Friends of the Musical Museum
368 Brentford High Street
BRENTFORD
Middlesex TW8 0BD
Tel. +44 (0)181 560 8108
Any other clubs and societies, then please send them on to me. I have checked out the websites and they all work.
That’s it so far. Grateful thanks for all contributions and contributors to the Update.
Please supply me with information for discussion or news in the limelight - all subjects are welcome to be discussed. If you feel that your subject isn’t being covered fully, then please let me know and please send in an article to cover it.
If you want to use the general material, please do, but please mention History in Harmony as the source and give the web address www.historyinharmony.com please contact me on article use to ask permission from author.
As ever, should you wish to not be included on this update, then please let me know at boz@historyinharmony.com and I’ll remove you forthwith. Conversely, if you know of any other people who would benefit or enjoy this email, then please get them to contact me at the same address.
COURTESY NOTICE
Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Update Compiler. It may be on occasions, necessary to edit material. In such cases utmost care will be taken to ensure that alterations or omissions do not alter the context of the subject or create a misleading or false representation. As a matter of courtesy, the author(s) will be consulted about major alterations. Finally, (to those who don’t already know) I am a bit dyslexic, which doesn’t help me with the spelling or grammar, so if you are struggling with the content, remember I’m also having the same problem on a permanent basis, especially with the foreign words and spelling!
With kind wishes
Boz Oram
The email address for all correspondence is boz@historyinharmony.com
Website www.historyinharmony.com
tel +UK (0) 8700 113994
Published on iMOD with kind permission of Boz Oram.
