Pierement (1941)
a very evocative and magical little film here : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wt1NQgri2A

Yes, a very interesting work. Did you take a close look at the organ? I'd say early twentieth century, French built, possibly a Gasparini. The music we hear is from two different organs (both tonally influenced by Carl Frei), built much later than the one in the film. Still, the film illustrates what I have read about the influence of the pierement on the populace of Amsterdam in the years prior to WWII.

I also saw the video and I have to aggre I do think the organ is of French maufacutre. But like many organs, it was converted by Carl Frei. The Video shows what a good time people had, dancing and singing, something still seen today.

The organ in the film still has it's original pipe configuration. No Bourdon, lots of violins with transverse blown piccolos, not to mention the trombones. Looks very much like the Gasparini's I've seen. A lot of the older style organs were owned by individuals in the years prior to the invasion. Most of the Carl Frei rebuilt or influenced instruments were owned by the big rental firms, like Van Jaaren and Timmerman. After the war those organs wound up in the hands of Perlee, Mohlmann, and Minning. Most of the unaltered organs that were working the streets up untill the German occupation didn't survive the war.

I agree with Bruce : the instrument shown does indeed look rather Gasparini-like and entirely original. I don't know if the soundtrack is of the organ shown and it's entirely possible it's not. It's an amateur film and likely shot 16mm silent with soundtrack and effects added at the edit stage. Considering the history of Amsterdam in the war years and especially the winter of 1944 it's quite clear just how many old instruments must've been salvaged for material to keep people alive. Amsterdam in the Second World War Unlike in 1914, Dutch neutrality was not respected in World War II. German forces attacked without warning on 10 May 1940. The hopelessly out-gunned, out-numbered Dutch army capitulated five days later. With the exception of a few misdirected allied air raids, the city suffered little damage in terms of bombing or battles. But the large Jewish community was decimated - deportation to the death camps literally cost Amsterdam 10% of its people. And the starvation winter of 1944/45, killed more. Jewish deportations Measures against Jew by the occupying forces increased apace. When Jewish and Communist members were removed, the City Councils failed to pro-*test*-('"). And civil servants obediently followed the orders of the occupying authorities. The momentum increased: the first mass raids were on 22 February 1941 on the Waterlooplein. Led by the dockworkers, the people of Amsterdam responded with a general strike on 25 and 26 February. This was a unique public show of determination by gentiles on behalf of their Jewish compatriots. Deportations started all the same, in July 1942. The Jews of Amsterdam were herded together in the Hollandse Theatre, before being taken to the staging camp at Westerbork, and then to concentration camps in Germany and Poland. Some - like Anne Frank and her family - went into hiding. Anne's world-famous diary tells their story. Eventually the Frank family were betrayed and deported to Auschwitz. All died with the exception of Anne's father. The starvation winter The defeat of the British and Polish airborne forces at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944, isolated the northern part of the Netherlands. With the German armies under pressure on all fronts, supplies dried up. The starvation winter of 1944-45 claimed countless lives in Amsterdam. To get wood to fuel their fires, people pulled down thousands of empty houses - often those of deported Jewish families. Germany surrendered on 5 May 1945, and two days later Canadian troops liberated Amsterdam. The YouTuber who posted the video has two others of interest : The 1971 Draaiorgel Pro-*test*-('") http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3rMkWJ1Ck7c&NR=1 The Utrecht Museum in 1958 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BHxmfYzErho

The Theory of the organ in the video is not the organ being heard, I think that can be justified. When they individualized the sounds of the auctual organ in the video(that is the bass drum/cymbal and the bell ringer) it did not match up with the music. Still is is very interesing to see a picture or a video of the same organs we hear amost every weekend(or when you do) back then. What ever happend to this organ, is the organ the "Gypsey Queen"?

Probably the same thing that happened to these houses "To get wood to fuel their fires, people pulled down thousands of empty houses - often those of deported Jewish families. Germany surrendered on 5 May 1945, and two days later Canadian troops liberated Amsterdam."

Justin, do you own a copy of "From Music Box to Street Organ" (Van Speeldoos Tot Pierement) by Romke deWaard? Even though it's been forty years since it was originally published (and it's English translation) it's still the best work on the subject. It delves into all facets of the draaiorgle as it evolved in the Netherlands, the low points as well as the high.

No, I do not.

If you are interested both Amazon and Abe Books have copies for sale, and relatively inexpensive.