A C Pilmer Automatic Music Ltd. Issue Five Summer 2018 G RACE N OTES INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 87- K E Y G AVIOLI O R G A N ’ S D E BU T INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Belgian Café Culture 2 4046 yearskey organ in business! to Australia 2 MarenghiIn Brief bandmaster 2 W.B.S. Model 76 / 77 3 Launch of Newsletter 2 Jim Krughoff RIP 3 32 key Prinsen organs 3 The air that we breathe 3 In Brief 3 87-key Gavioli organ’s 4 debut On the weekend of June 16th and 17th 2018 our latest full restoration project made its public debut at the Castle Fraser steam rally in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The organ, an early 87-key Gavioli, was built in 1898 and now forms part of the extensive collection of Mike Dree- lan, a prominent collector of steam and other road vehicles. It is not known exactly where the organ was first used commercially, but it was possibly somewhere in Belgium; at some point it was ex- ported to the United States where it provided the music for a carousel in a permanent amusement park. In the late 1920s the organ was rebuilt by the B.A.B. Organ Company of Brooklyn, New York. At this time, the Gavioli keyframe was removed and the scale changed to their own 80-keyless book system, making the old library of music redundant. A new selection of popular music was then supplied for it. Later, the organ operated at Almonesson Lake, a permanent amusement park in New Jersey. When the park closed down many items were sold to Jim Wells, a dealer from Fairfax, Northern Virginia. Later, the organ passed into the hands of an enthusiast, and by 2007 was owned by a collector in Florida who kept it in his basement. (For more pictures and details please turn to the back page) W H Y N OT B E C O M E A N O R G A N O W N E R ? We would like to draw your at- facility and is thus now willing to owner and, for a time we rented it tention to two instruments cur- accept a very competitive price to an amusement park. The present rently offered for sale on behalf of for a quick sale to solve this owner (since 1990) is unfortunately clients on our website, where problem. no longer able to drive the Bedford further details and pictures can be The second instrument we high- display vehicle it is housed in, and so found. The first is a 101-key organ light here is a 52-key street is now keen for the organ to pass to with 12 automatic registers, built organ built in 1970 by Arthur a new owner, rather than it stand in the Netherlands in the early Bursens in Antwerp. It was unused. Only four of these organs 1990s. Named De Arend ( The purchased new by Lord O’Neill were ever built; one of them has Eagle ), it is mounted on a covered of Shane’s Castle, Co. Antrim, already been in Japan for a number continental-built trailer, ready for and was initially mounted on a of years. If you feel you might like to use, and can play from either 1920s Leyland lorry. Later the become the new owner of either of traditional cardboard music books combination found its way to these two tuneful organs, please do or from a MIDI system. The Arthur Mason in Norfolk; subse- make contact with us as soon as owner is about to lose his storage quently we ourselves became its possible. Page 2 Issue Five B E L G I A N C A F É C U LT U R E A very interesting book recently makers of such devices. Indeed, both English and Dutch, can be came to our attention, which will their use prevailed much longer obtained through all good book- surely be of interest to some of there than almost any other shops or online. You can find out our readers. It is entitled Belgian country. A major Belgian distribu- much more at Café Culture and is the work of tor of instruments from Germany www.missfoodwise.com/2016/10/ Regula Ysewijn, a food writer, was the famous Brussels firm of belgian-cafe-culture-book.html/ photographer and graphic de- C. J. Gérard & Co. * signer. Regula lives in Belgium but The visitor to Belgium 40 years is a true Anglophile and has previ- ago could enjoy the music of a ously written another book, Pride whole host of café organs for the and Pudding , on the history of modest investment of a 5-franc British puddings. A few years ago coin in the wall box, but today she became aware of the decline in very few remain on location, the number of traditional cafés in having been dispersed to collec- Belgium, in the same way that tors worldwide. Since that time, traditional pubs have been disap- the delights of Belgian beer have pearing here in the UK, and de- also become much more widely cided that this unique heritage appreciated. One of the best should be documented for poster- known present-day locations * We have a limited stock of quality The book is very attractively de- ity in words and pictures before it (with a 92-key Gebr. Decap or- facsimiles of a rare 34-page Gerard signed and features many colour was too late. gan), the Café Beveren, is men- catalogue for sale, printed just like photographs by the author. Here is To someone interested in me- tioned in the book, but is sadly the original and measuring 21cms x a copy of the book, ready to enjoy, chanical music, Belgian cafés were not featured specifically. This café 17cms. Several Weber orchestrion together with a beckoning glass of renowned in the past for their and its famous organ do however styles including the Brabo, Styria, flavoursome, cool Belgian beer! extensive use of barrel pianos, feature in many current Antwerp Maesto and Solea are described and piano orchestrions, violin players travel guides. illustrated in it. In the UK this costs just £6.00, or $10.00 from the and other instruments, resulting in The hardback, 272-page book, U.S.A. You can find more details on that small country becoming one published by Luster, which is in of the leading markets for the the book page of our website. I N B R I E F The weekly glossy magazine We are sorry to report the pass- be the first book-playing instru- supplement to the Yorkshire ing on April 22nd of Brian Dun- ment to be used on the UK Post regional newspaper of ford the well-known engine and mainland, and more recently, was Saturday, January 6th 2018 car- organ owner from Flockton, the first fairground organ to be ried a well-written, almost full- West Yorkshire. Over the years recorded and released on com- page article on the subject of Brian purchased and restored pact disc in this country. † collecting juke boxes, written by several road steam engines in- _____________ John Vincent. It was accompanied cluding examples by Sentinel, by a large colour picture of the Foden, Garrett and Burrell. The Thanks to all who re-subscribed Wurlitzer Style 850 Peacock fine Burrell showmen’s scenic to this e-newsletter as a result of jukebox which we purchased at road locomotive “ King George V ” the new General Data Protection auction last year on behalf of a of 1911 was a familiar sight at Regulation of May 25th. If you client, and which was mentioned many events together with the 89 know someone who would like in the previous edition of Grace key Gavioli organ we obtained to receive Grace Notes, please and restored for him over 20 Notes. ask them to subscribe by visiting years ago. This was believed to —————— our website. 4 6 - K E Y O R G A N G O E S T O A USTRALIA Congratulations to the enthusias- shipments, the bespoke packing tic couple from Melbourne, Austra- case was fully compliant with lia, who visited us during 2017 and present international regulations purchased the handily-sized 46-key and constructed to be handled by Andrew Whitehead fair organ which fork-lift. We can arrange the was for sale on our website. Before transportation of all kinds of in- it left, several improvements were struments, whether purchased carried out and the instrument was from us or not, including all docu- cleaned, adjusted and tuned. Along mentation and insurance. We have with its library of music books, extensive experience in the use of including some new ones selected dedicated 20 and 40ft containers by the owners, the organ was then and trailers and also smaller con- carefully packed for its long sea solidated consignments by land, voyage “down under”. This included sea and air. We have arranged the hermetically sealing the organ and safe worldwide transport of sev- its accessories in a foil bag with eral large dance, street and fair desiccant to prevent the possible organs, piano orchestrions and build-up of moisture whilst in tran- other items. Call us in confidence sit. As with all our international to discuss your requirements. Grace Notes Page 3 F E A T U RE D O R G A N S C A L E W I L H E L M B R U D E R S Ö H N E M O D E L S 7 6 / 7 7 This scale was introduced by the tion to the music.