THE SMITH UNIT 0/?GANS By Douglas Marion F. W. Smith, designer and inventor, playing a Can you imagine how a Model T buff of today, perhaps born several three manual Smith Unit Organ. years after the last such car was built, would feel if he could meet the late Henry Ford? Or even be able to be in quite complex and interesting, taking gans for theatres were built with relay the shop where the first Model T was on many names in combination with and chest primaries, and those for built? Such was my feeling when I met Smith. churches were built without primaries. Charles F. Smith, son of Frederick W. In 1917, Smith combined forces The price differential was about 10%. Smith, founder of the SMITH ORGAN with the J. P. Seeburg Company,, and Pipes were never made by this firm, COMP ANY. Such an opportunity is the plant was moved to 419 West Erie, but were purchased fromGottfied ( reeds) rare indeed, and perhaps I can extend Chicago, Ill. Thus the famed Seeburg­ and from Samuel Pierce, Reading, to you through the medium of the print­ Smith got its name. Then in 1922, See­ Mass., ( flues) , now known as Denni­ ed page some of the thrill that I ex­ burg's interest was p.irchased by s on. Percussions were from ,Lyon & perienced on this occasion! Mr. Harry Hogan, and the operation was Healy of Chicago and Deagan and Keh­ But first, Charlie's story. His dad, moved to Geneva, Ill. It was then that ler. Actually constructed, therefore, F .W. Smith, who p:issedaway in 1948, was the organs were called Geneva-Smith were the ccnsoles, relays, chests, re­ an Englishman who was an ct' gan build­ Unit Organs. servoirs, actions and other appurten­ er in 1892 when he met Robert Hope­ Smith separated himself from this ances. J ones in England. They combined partnership after a few years, and Charl ie Smith estimates that about forces at the Birkenhead shop, and moved to Alameda, California, in No­ 1000 instruments were made and sold later, in 1903, Smith came to America. vember of 1923. He established the during the companies' career, mostly He associated himse If with Erne st M. Smith Organ Company, assuming the theatre organs. They were designed Skinner as designer, and it was Smith original company name for the operation. for 8 and 10 inch pressure. A complete who, in 1905, first conceived the horse­ Some ci the organs produced in Alame­ list of installations does not exi ·st, shoe-shaped console arrangement of da by Smith were sold by the Leather­ although a p:irt ial list is included here. the stop tabs. by Company of San Francisco, and these Char lie has continued in the organ It was during this association that were called Leatherby-Smith Organs. game ever since the close of the busi­ Hope-Jones said of his friend and col­ Finally, in 1924, Smith sent for his ness in Alameda, except during the laborator, "The man at the head of son Charles, who joined his father in last World War. He has rebuilt many our building department is Mr. F. W. a partnership called F. W. Smith and cxgans in the Bay Area, and continues Smith, than whom there is not a more Son at the Alameda location. There his regular service work today. He has skilled or scientific organ builder in the operation continued until the com­ all of the factory drawings, ratent pa­ America. Mr. Smith has been closely• pany ceased activity entirely in early pers, tools, catalogues, and corresp:>n­ associated with me for many years." 1928. This, then, accounts for the dence in his possession and this is In 1912, Smith established his own many names found on the Smith Organs. fantastically interesting reading! He organ business at Ncxth Tonawanda, Basically, the Smith crgan construc­ still makes switches, valves, pneuma­ N. Y., -which he called The Smith Or­ tion did not change even though busi­ tics, and relay parts for Smith ocgans. gan Co., Inc. His µoduct was called ness relationships did. The chests * Small chests holding one rank were ''THE SMITH ORCHESTRAL ORGAN." were built with a side-mounted pieu­ commonly used; three ranks was the From that date on, the chronological matic which opens the pipe valve on maximum size bui It. They are very development of the Smith Organ is the old Roosevelt Chest pattern.* Or- compact. Winter, 1960-61 5 It was he who finally convinced his Smith THEATRE ORGAN still lives father to give up making the Smith Mag­ today through the eff octs and devotion net ( which ~ave trouble due to its of Cha,die Smith. Persons interested slow operation) and to adort the Reis­ can contact Charlie by writing to him -ner Magnet, used in all of the com­ at 1295-78th Ave., Oakland California. panies, later work. He still makes I g'ive you Charles Frederic Smith , t'hests foe Smith organs on order. an organ factcry worker at 12, drafts­ In other wocds, in a real sense, the man at 17, general organ building su­ perintendent, installer, builder and all­ around fine fellow! PARTIAL LIST OF SMITH ORGANS Pennsylvania California Shiloh Orpheum Oakland Mt. Washington Metropolitan Garden Burlingame Pittsburg Frederick Golden Gate Theatre Oakland East Pittsburg Bison Lincoln San Francisco Brownsville Wick Orpheum San Rafael Kittaning Bellevue l;t Cong. Church Oakland X Bellevue California Iris 1he largest Smith bui It was this tour Pittsburg V and er gr if t manual installed in Forest Hill Theatre, Turlock Sedler Turlock East Pittsburg Long Island City, New York ( see next Verdi Charles Johns Republic San Francisco Venango page). Smith Organs had the stops ar­ Piedmont Piedmont Oil City ranged by family, i.e., Sourdon 16', Orpheum Franklin Flute 8', Flute 4, Twelfth 2-2;2', Pic­ ( Oakland) Main Art Gallery Coronado Sharpsburg colo 2' fol lowed by perhaps String 8', Grant String 4', rather than the usual group­ Pasadena Pasadena Millville Braddock ings of a II 8' stops together in order of Liberty Fort Bragg Braddock Hotel Leamington Reg~nr" Beaver Falls their loudness, followed by the 4' Oakland stops, etc. Hippodrome Wm. Penn New Castle Napa Majestic Glendora Glendora Rochester Virg .inia A. S. Maple Point Marion Christian Sci. Church Oakland X Olympic Portsmouth Beedle and Sons Cannons burg Egyptian Long Beach America Norfolk Stahl Homestead United Eagle Rock Wells Norfolk Grand Butler New Fruitvale Oakland Granby Norfolk Lyric Butler Home Long Beach Polk Bijou Richmond Hayward Hayward Mt. Washington Smith United Anaheim Greenfield Indiana 15th St. M. E. Church Oakland Grand Greensburg Brown Brooklyn Washington Richmond New York Elliott Elliott Rialto Indianapolis Sourwine West Chester Mt. Vernon Strand Greensburg Brazil Riviera 34th Street New York City Eagle Jeanette Anderson La Salle R. Catholic Church Buffalo Liberty McKeesport South Bend Superior New York City Castle South Bend Illinois Orpheum Belmont New York City Elkhart Lincoln Goshen Strand New York City New President Chicago Alhambra Indianapolis Cosmo New York City Swedish Church Chicago Luna Lafayette Plaza New York City Biltmore Chicago Mars Lafayette De Laney New York City Brookline Chicago R. Catholic Buffalo Blaine Chicago Capitol New York City Bell Chicago Miscellaneous Belmont New York City Fischer Danville Palace Rivoli New York City M. E. Church Chicago Muscatine, Iowa Fulton Columbia Far Rockaway Peerless Kewanee Jersey City, N.J. Mason Lodge Buffalo Wicker Park Chicago Strand Wichita Falls, Tex. Beverly Brooklyn Fox Aurora Fcrest Hill Long Island City Rialto Elgin ( Turn to next page) A Smith pit organ with flute, string, clarinet, trumpet, vox, percussions and traps, double tracker bar player on piano console. Lower manual did not have 88 keys as found on Wurlitzer, but 61 keys. 6 theatre ogran Forest Hill Theatre Smith Orchestral Organ, Long Island, N. Y. MAIN Chamber Compass Pipes Pres, Peda I Acco'11p, Acc. 2nd T. Great Great 2nd T. Solo Echo Tuba 8'-4' 73 10" 8-4 8 8 8 8-4 8 8 Trumoet 8' 61 1 0" 8 8 8 8 Open Diapason 16'-4' 85 1 0" 16-8-4 8 16-8-4 8 Oboe Horn 8' 61 10" 8 8 8 8 8 8 Kinura 8' 61 10" 8 8 Amplex 8 SOLO CHAMBER Tibia Clausa 8'-4' 73 10" 32r-8-4 32r 8-4 8 8-4 Gamba 16'-4' 85 1 0" 16-8 8 16-8- 8 16- 8-4 816-8 Amolex 8 Violin 8'-2' 85 10" 8 8-4-2 8 Amplex 8 Viol Celeste 8'-4' 73 10" 8 8-4 8 8' 10" 8 Clarinet 61 ' 8 0 a 16-8 8 8 Amp~ex 8 Flute-Bourdon 16'-2' 97 1 0' ' 32t -16-8 32r 16-8-4-2 2/.3-2 16-8-4-2 2/3-2 8-4 Vox Humana 8' 61 6" 16-8-4 8 ECHO CHAMBER Flute 8'-2' 85 6 8-4-2 Violin 8'-4' 73 6 8-4 Cor Analais 8' 61 6 8 Vox Humana 8' 61 6 16-8-4 Chimes 20 X PERCUSSION CHAMBER X Marimba 49 X x v ib. stroke X 8-4-2 2/3 Sing _l_!' Xvlophone 37 X XX Stroke Glockenspiel - re-it. 37 X X X Orchestra Bells* 37 X X X C:hrysoglott 49 X Chimes 20 X X X Sass Drum* X Kettle Drum - re-it. X Cymbal* X Roi I Cvmbal - re-it, X Chinese Crash Cvmbal Toe Pistor X Snare Drum X Tambourine X Castenets X Chinese Block X Tom Tom X Triangle X Surf ToePiston Couplers S8-G8-A8 S8 S8 G4-G16-S8-E8 S8 Amplex - S8 Pistons 3 10 10 10 NOTES ON CHART * means single stroke Tubas to be very bright and penetrating PARTIAL LIST OF SMITH ORGANS Vox Humana Large Scale Miscellaneous ( Con't).