Carousel Organ Magazine

Annotated Index  to Issues 1 to 50

The "Carousel Organ Journal" is the magazine of the COAA (Carousel Organ Association of America.) The purpose of COAA is to promote public awareness, education, preservation, enjoyment and knowledge of all outdoor mechanical musical instruments and their heritage.


The term “Carousel Organ" covers many types of instruments which are know around the world by a variety of names including "band organ" in the USA, "fair organ" or "fairground organ" or "showground organ" in the UK, "Drehorgel"or "Leierkasten" in German, "Pierement" in Dutch, or "Straatorgel" in Denmark.

We are also interested in smaller instruments known as a "crank organ," monkey organ," "busker organ," "organito," "draaiorgel," "organillo," "realejo," "organetto di barberia," "orgue de barbarie," "Lirekasse",  or "Positiv" as well as the associated culture of the "organ grinder," "Drehorgelspieler," "Leierkastenmann," or "Werkelmann."

Note: Posting of actual articles from the Carousel Organ on this website is limited to items which appeared in print at least two years previously. At this time only articles from issues 1 to 50 have been annotated and linked, but additional material will be added as time permits. The primary purpose in creating this index is to facilitate access through search engines. Additional material such as advertisements and notices may be found through an issue-by-issue reading of files on www.COAA.US

Instruments


Calliopes

Building a 43-note Calliope, Dave Kerr; Issues #8 & 9
Includes some calliope history and describes construction of 43 and 48 note instruments using a vacuum cleaner blower. Both home-made metal and plastic pipes (whistles) are described. Includes tables of pipe dimensions. This instrument is keyboard controlled using Peterson pipe organ magnets (valves), and does not play from rolls or MIDI.

Improving Bell Control on the Caliola, Robert F Gellerman; Issue #2
The author built a replica Caliola, Wurlitzer's version of the calliope. The Wurlitzer A Roll has perforations for control of bells, and the author made a type of pneumatic unit equivalent to what in electronic circuitry is called an "AND gate" using unit valves to improve control.

Joseph Ori and the Early Circus Air Calliope, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #16

Norman Baker (A Life History), Ron Bopp; Issues #28 & 29
Baker, inventor of the Tangley Calliope, worked in the circus as a barker, created a mentalist show, established powerful radio stations, established a cancer hospital, and served time in jail for mail fraud.

Norman Baker’s Invention, the Tangley Calliaphone, Bill Black, Issues #24 & 25
Describes construction and restoration of an air calliope.

Whistling by the Numbers—Survey of Calliope Patents; Ron Bopp; Issue #19
Describes a wide variety of steam and air calliope designs.

Hand-Cranked Organs - Vintage

A deKleist Barrel Organ, Ron Bopp; Issue #38
Description and photos of a 25-key deKleist barrel organ built about 1901 and offered at auction in 2008.

A Marriage of Convenience - Mechanical Instruments Before 1800, Yousuf Wilson; Issue #30
Focuses on street music with hand organs.

An Organ Grinder in Auburn, NY, Bob Conant; Issue #37
Discussion and photo on an organ grinder on a street corner in Auburn, NY, sometime in the 1880s.

Frati 49-key Barrel Organ, Ron Schmuck; Issue #3
Describes the organ and restoration work

Ignaz Blasius Bruder (1806 - 2006) and 200 years of Building Mechanical Organs, Wolfgang Brommer & Peter Scherle; Issue #30
Ignaz Blasius Bruder moved his organ workshop from Simionswald to Waldkirch in 1834, helping establish the major center of outdoor organ building. the article has pictures of early hand organs with anomated figures.

Music of the Streets - as depicted in Sheet Music, Angelo Rulli & Ron Bopp; Issue #16
Sheet music cover images and discussion

One-Legged Grinders, Ron Bopp; Issue #30
Organ grinding in some places was restricted to those who could not do other work. Often these were former soldiers or victims on industrial accidents.

Organ Grinder Automata, Angelo Rulli; Issue #45
Covers organ grinder toys, large display pieces,  tableaux, and animations on organs with moving figures. Some of the breathtaking automata were made by Bruder, Vichy, Decamps, Oehrlein and
Lambert, among others.

Perlee Performs at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jack Conway; Issue #38
Conway took his 22 key Perlee hand organ, built in the 1960s by Gijs Perlee, Draaiorgels,  Amsterdam to the Walt Disney Concert Hall  for their 2008 “Toy Theatre Festival”

Piano Melodico—A Family of Mechanical Musical Instruments, Christian Greinacher; Issue #14
Giovanni Racca designed the Piano Melodico in 19th century. It used a punched cardboard book to play strings with felt hammers. It is an indoor instrument.

The Gebrüder-Bruder Figure Organ from 1855 arises to a new life - The Restoration of the “Coffin Organ” _ Heinz Jäger _ #31
The restoration of the organ and figure mechanism was accomplished by the company, Jäger &
Brommer of Waldkirch. The article includes pipe dimensions and photos of the animation mechanism of a very rare organ.

The “Lost” Merry-Go-Round Company, Yousuf Wilson; Issue #7
The Health Merry-Go-Round Company (Quincy, Illinois) was part of the George Ertel Manufacturing Company. They produced a rider-powered ride with a cob reed organ about 1906-09.

Organ Offerings in a Vintage Wurlitzer Catalog (circa 1898); Issue #45
From the period before Wurlitzer began building organs in North Tonawanda.

Hand-Cranked Organs - Contemporary

20-Note Music Arranger Roundup, Gordie Davidson; Issue #38
Describes sources for 110 mm wide rolls for 20 note crank organs, including Orgelbau Raffin, Melvyn Wright, Orgelbau Steuber, Jaeger & Brommer, Alan Pell, Hiddo van Os, Christian Wittmann, Harald Mueller, Le Turlutain, Adrian Oswalt, Thomas Sterk, and Ingmar Krause. Also identifies some sources no longer in business.

A Folding Organ Cart, Jim Partrick; Issue #33
Describes construction of a cart for a 20 note OSI crank organ.

A New Small Organ Builder - A New Small Organ - The “Vienna Woods", Tom Griffith; Issue #29
Describes a very small organ playing standard 20 note paper rolls.

A Newly Developed Scanner for Pinned Barrels, Leonardo Perretti; Issue #41
The author was a restorer of the barrel organs belonging to the Royal Palace in Caserta, Campania region, Italy. He built a scanning machine which uses a servo motor to rotate a barrel with precision while a traveling carriage with a micro switch detects pin positions. A non-contact laser sensor is planned. Pin data are imported in a table, sorted according to time, and then converted to MIDI.

A Wagon for Elizabeth, Mike Barnhart; Issue #8
Adapting a wooden wagon for a 25-note paper roll Alan Pell crank (monkey) organ.

Arnold Masino, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Ed Ditto; Issue #11
George Arnold Masino - 1897-1978 - was an Ohio street performer who used animals and a crank organ.

Building the John Smith Organ, Paul Senger; Issues #24 & 25
Describes the John Smith Busker organ, a 20 note roll playing organ, and the author's construction of one.

Fairy-tale Organ, Richard & Mary Ann Hujar; Issue #11
An automaton barrel organ by Hans (Hansjörg) Leible including pictures of mechanisms.

Grinding for Success - Looking like a Professional, Gordie Davidson; Issue #34
Primarily focusses on clothing, giving both American and European examples.

Grinding for Success - Your Routine (Tips and Tricks), Gordie Davidson; Issue #35
Discusses performance locations, the right music, getting other people involved, and (toy) monkies & birds,

Grinding for Success - Tips on Marketing, Booking and Advertising, Gordie Davidson; Issue #36
Discusses fees, business cards and ads, agents, and CDs.

John Smith Universal (20-26) Organ, H. C. Beckman; Issue #31
The “John Smith Universal Organ” will play standard Raffin 20-note rolls and also the Aldeman-Wright 26-note scale, both of which use 110 mm wide rolls. It is built from plans supplied by John Smith, in England. The article illustrates the author's success in his first attempt at organ building.

Joseph Raffin Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Tom Griffith; Issue #5
40th anniversary of Orgelbau Raffin located in Uberlingen, Germany, builder of small organs

LeLudion’s “Credit Card” Organ, Chaillet; Issue #17
A crank organ built in France with an electronic music system.

In the footsteps of his master Bacigalupo . . . or the discovery of Martin Zumbach, Arranger of Organ Barrels and Manufacturer of Barrel Organs, Paul Fricker; Issue #38
Describes the contemporary Swiss builder Martin Zumbach and his 36 key - 72 pipe "Violinopan" barrel organs.

Musical Statistics on the 20er Organ Scale, Harald M. Müller; Issue #25
Describes the various chords, etc. which can be put in arrangements for music using the Carl Frei 20-er scale.

Orgelbau-Meister Hofbauer, Fred Gerer; Issue #28
Hofbauer is a German firm building a range of products running from organ clocks to church organs. This article focuses on their hand-cranked organs which have included both roll-playing and electronic memory instruments.

The Deleika Drehorgelbau, Carlo Klemm; Issue #49
Deleika, in Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria, builds 20-note, 26-note, and 31-note scale organs, including some which play from both paper rolls and electronic files. Their largest organ is a 36-note scale organ with full percussion.

The Karakuri Organ, Ron Bopp; Issue #26
Jäger and Brommer built the the Karakuri Organ for a Japanese contest. It is a 31-note hand-cranked organ (111 pipes) with 10 special effects that are operated by the public via air-filled (pneumatic) bulbs.

The LeLudion Story, Eve Crasse; Issue #8
Eve and Philippe Crasse opereate the LeLudion company in the south of France. Since 1984 they have built organs including 27, 32, and 64 note models and produce book music.

The Molinari Twin, Craig Smith & Bob Cole; Issue #17
Describes an amateur's construction of a replica 1920 Molinari 31 note organ

The Raffin 20-78 Concert Street Organ - A Profile, Gordie Davidson; Issue #40
This 78 pipe instrument is the largest of the 20-note Carl Frei scale crank organs built by Josef Raffin of Uberlingen, Germany.

The Hoffle Crank Organ, Ron Bopp; Issue #49
Walter Höffle is an amateur organ builder who has pubished plans books. Bau Einer Drehorgel - How to Build a Crank Organ details plans on making a 20-note crank organ with four registers. The book 60+ page book is available in English, Dutch, German and Spanish.

Large Organs - American Band Organs

An Original North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works Style 146, Kuehn; Issue #15

Band Organ Adventure(s), Don Janisch; Issue #36
Describes the author's experiences with a fraudster "selling" a Wurlitzer band organ.

Building a Wurlitzer 105 Band Organ, Howard Wyman; Issues #5, #6 & #7
A thoroughly illustrated description of the construction of a small roll-playing Wurlitzer band organ.
This article might also be available in expanded form at http://www.carousels.com/index.html and on the Wurlitzer 105b Yahoo Discussion Group

Converting a Wilhelm Bruder Barrel Organ to play Wurlitzer 150 Rolls, Bob Moore; Issue #46
The organ was a 48-key Wilhelm Bruder with unknown tunes on a damaged barrel and no front. Bob created pneumatics to activate push rods operating the valves, added a glockenspiel, drums, a cymbal, and a new front.

Joyland Louie [Wurlitzer], Mathew Caulfield Issue #5
Describes “Joyland Louie”, the Wurlitzer style 160 band organ playing at Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Kansas. It now plays the style 165 roll, but it is the sole surviving example of a genuine Wurlitzer Mammoth.

My Search for the Elusive Wurlitzer 166 Band Organ, Glenn Thomas with Joe Hilferty; Issue #41
The Wurlitzer style 166 is essentially a 165 with an expanded façade to house ranks of trumpets and bass trombones, along with other ranks of not a part of the 165 organ. Wurlitzer 165 rolls included the additional perforations for style 166 registration. No Wurlitzer style 166 organs are known to survive. Joe Hilferty helped Glenn Thomas rebuild an early Bruder Barrel Organ that had been converted by Wurlitzer around 1916 to play the 165 roll to sound like a 166 organ.

Rebuilding an Artizan Model XA Pump/Reservoir, Scotty Greene; Issue #16
Describes work at the DeBence Antique Music world in Franklin, PA in restoring the carousel organ from Conneaut Lake Park Amusement Park.

Replicating the Wurlitzer 165 Façade, Glenn Thomas, Robert Yorburg, Marguerite Chadwick-Juner & Pamela Hessey; Issue #44
Glenn Thomas needed a façade for his Wurlitzer style 166 band organ restoration. After choosing the 165 façade as a model, Robert Yorburg was chosen as carver and Marguerite Chadwick-Juner as painter, and Pamela Hessey as finisher.

The Bandola Model 125, Dave Mahr; Issue #20
Describes organs similar to the Wurlitzer Style 125 between 1973 and 1984 by Johnson Organ Co. for G. W. MacKinnon. 17 were made.

The Hersheypark Carousel, Bill Black; Issue #10
Describes the carousel and its Wurlitzer Style 153 Band Organ

The Jameson Chest, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #35
The article discusses US Patent 1367263, by Charles V. Jameson, on which the Wurlitzer unit valve is based.

The Johnson Organ Company, Lance Johnson; Issue #22
The Johnson Organ Company is a regional builder of church organs in the upper Midwest which also builds a variety of band organs, primarily based on Wurlitzer designs.

The McClaran/Santa Cruz Wurlitzer 165, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #32
Celebrates the sale of a Wurlitzer 165 in a private collection to the Santa Cruz, California, Beach Boardwalk where it will play for the public.

The Special Wurlitzer Carousel Organ, LeRoy Schumacher; Issue #11
Describes model No. 146A (early style), serial No. 3266

The Stinson Band Organ Company, Incorporated - Bellefontaine, Ohio, Ron Bopp; Issue #33
Since the late 1970s Don Stinson has been building a variety of new band organs primarily based on Wurlitzer designs. Although he has produced many roll-playing instruments, he has been a major proponent of MIDI systems. The company has manufactured over 200 new band organs that are located throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Three Organs and a Gaviman, Dave Rohe; Issue #21
The author describes his three organs, an Artizan A, a Niagara 180 and a Wurlitzer Style 146A which he shows in an 18-foot trailer.

Wanderings of a Small Band Organ [Wurlitzer], Matthew Caulfield; Issue #3
Wurlitzer Style 146A carousel organ Number 3665

Wurlitzer “End Numbers” & Roll Identification, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #9
Every original Wurlitzer roll carries an “end number” which can help identify damaged rolls.

Wurlitzer’s Monster & Other Good Times, Bill Black; Issue #2
Author tells of his Wurlitzer 146 "Monster", one of three known to survive.

Wurlitzer Style 148 Military Band Organ Serial Number 4166, Norm Otto; Issue #47
Describes the history, scale, and restoration of this brass trumpet organ. MIDI was installed at the time of restoration. 

Organ Offerings in a Vintage Wurlitzer Catalog (circa 1898); Issue #45
From the period before Wurlitzer began building organs in North Tonawanda.

Large Organs - European Fair Organs

A 89-key Pierre Eich Fairground Organ, James Reid; Issue #44
Built around 1906 by Pierre Eich of Ghent, Belgium, it is thought that this organ contains parts from a 108-key Gavioli barrel organ. The organ is now traveled all over England.

A Celebration of Gavioli “65-key” Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #26 & 27
Describes large book playing organs built in Paris used both as carousel organs and dance organs.

A Pioneer Hooghuys and a ‘Major League’ Mortier, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #7
Describes history of a Hooghuys facade on 101-key Mortier 971 organ once featured in Underground Atlanta

A Ruth Style 33-A/Bruder Organ, Tom Billy; Issue #44
Tom bought the non-playing organ in 1967 stored it in his mother’s garage until 1977. Mike Kitner restored the organ in 1979 to play 56-keyless Bruder music.

Alexandre Gasparini and Foucher-Gasparini, A Parisian Band Organ Manufacturer, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #23
Although relatively unknown in America, the Gasparini family built large barrel and book playing organs from about 1885 to 1910.

A Tale of “Twin” Ruth Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #24
History and description of the Model 37 Model 38 A. Ruth & Son band organs.

A Well-traveled Gasparini Finds A Home, Gerry Bay; Issue #19
Purchase of a 52-key instrument and addition of MIDI. The instrument was formerly in Madam and Monsieur Farkas’ Doll Museum in Baden, France.

Becoming a Gaviman - Bringing the Diamond Jubilee Gavioli To America, Roger Wiegand; Issue #38
Roger purchased an 89-key Gavioli which had played on the carousel at Wonderland Park, Cleethorpes, England.  The Screeton family of Barton-upon-Humber had purchased the and initiated restoration work. It was built as an 87-key organ by Gavioli in Paris about 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, hence Roger's choice to name it The "Diamond Jubilee Organ." The article discusses restoration and importation.

Bernie’s Berni - The Revere Beach Whip Gavioli, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #33
Traces the probable history of a large Gavioli organ imported by the Berni Organ Company of New York.

From British Bioscope to American Organ Icon - The Origin of the Royal American Shows Gavioli, Fred Dahlinger_Issue #14

Bruder Bell Organ, Dana Johnson; Issue #40
Traces the history of a a “Bruder Elite Apollo,” a 65-key keyless Bruder imported about 1912 to Coney Island, in  the collection of Jerry Doring. Over the years the organ has been modified to play B.A.B and Wurlitzer 165 rolls.

With Strings Attached: Gavioli’s Piano-Quartet and Related Carousel Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #39
Traces the history of the "Piano-Quartet" and other orchestrions made by the Gavioli Company and Frati & Co. which were occasionally used on carousels. These instruments used both pipes and piano mechanisms.

Hooguys - The History of the Family, Björn Isebaert & Marc Hooghuys; Issue #6
The Hooghuys family has built and repaired church and mechanical organs in Brugge, Belgium since 1806. Their products included both fairground and dance instruments.

Julius Vander Beken Organ Builder - A Short History, Björn Isebaert; Issue #22
He started his career in the firm of Louis Hooghuys, and later worked with Chiappa & Sons before starting his own firm in Belgium.

Learning from the Serial Numbers - Gebr. Bruder Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #10
The Gebrüder (Gebrueder) Bruder mechanical organ building firm of Waldkirk, Germany was founded in 1864 and closed in 1933. No complete factory records exist. A compilation of known serial numbers ranges from 2578 to 5632.

Limonaire Freres Paris, 1839 - 1936, Andrea Stadler Issues #26, 27 & 28
In France, “Limonaire” is  used as a synonym for a carousel organ. This article traces the history of the firm and family both in Paris and Waldkirk.

Limonaire or Lemonade, Rick Cooley & Arthur Prinsen; Issue #7
The Limonaire Organ (Limonaire Freres) Company was established in France in 1840. Article describes several fairground instruments.

MIDI-fication of a Bruder Fair Organ, Tom Hutchinson, Bob Stout, Bill Klinger ; Issue #37
In 2008 Hutchinson purchased Ron Bopp's 52-key Bruder book-playing carousel organ. The article describes non-destructive installation of an added MIDI system. It cover selection and instsallation of direct electric valves, driver board, power supply, computer interface and computer.

Music of the Myrtle Beach Ruth, Ron Keisler; Issue #34
The Myrtle Beach Ruth Model 38, 96-keyless fairground organ was built in 1906 and remained in Germany until 1922, when it was shipped to the United States. It was moved to Myrtle Beach in the 1950s. When restoration by Stinson Organ and the installation of a MIDI system began in 2005 only one book was playable. The Keislers restored the books and Terry Haughawout scanned them so that the historic repetoir can continued to be played.

Parisian Beauties Light Up A Carousel Downunder (Again!), Patricia Mullins; Issue #34
Describes restoration of art work on a 66-key Limonaire Frères organ in Australia, at Melbourne’s Luna Park.

Revealed after a Century: The Model 46 Ruth of 1912, Fred Dahlinger, Issue #50
The Model 46 band organ scale was nominally in the same size and pitch range as the 59- to 70-key Marenghi, 65-key Gavioli, 67-key Limonaire, 69/65-keyless Gebrüder Bruder Elite Orchestra “Apollo” and the derivative Wurlitzer 165. The article provides a Scales Comparison of these organs, and history of several individual instruments.

Restoration of a 35-key Limonaire Fair Organ, William Kromer; Issue #21
Describes a project done by the author.

Resurrection of the Heller Gavioli, Herb Brabandt; Issue #2
Chronicles acquisition and restoration of  an 87 or 89 key scale Gavioli fair organ playing over 350 pipes which is 15 feet wide by 7 feet high.

The Clothing of the Carved Figures on European Fairground and Dance Organs, Suzanne Hendricks & Angelo Rulli; Issue #50
A majority of fairground and dance organs were built between 1850 and 1920, yet the conductors, whether men or women, are most often wearing the clothing worn by men for court or formal occasions in the late 1700s. Other organs have figures representative of circus or street performers.

The 67-key Limonaire Freres - Style 250, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #34
Describes the history, scale, and surviving instruments of these band organs.

The Broadway Bruder, Bruce Pier; Issue #10
History of the "Broadway Bruder", a Gebruder Bruder Model 107, formerly on the Flying Horses Carousel at Salisbury Beach Park, MA now at San Diego Seaport Village

The Bruder Elite Apollo Carousel Organ, Jerry Doring; Issue #40
Traces the history of the 65-key Bruder Elite Apollo Carousel Organ in the collection of Jerry Doring of Arcadia, California, probably one of only two 65-key Bruder Elite in the United States today. In the 1920s it was converted to play the 66-key B.A.B. music roll.

The Canberra Carousel Organ - Gebruder Bruder Elite Apollo Orchestra, David Kerr; Issue #17
History, description and restoration of a 67 key organ.

The Colosseum (Coliseum) Gavioli, Ron Bopp; Issue #2
Describes an organ in the Neilson collection in Norristown, PA. Apparently built in 1906, this organ played the Gavioli system until 1922 when it was converted to play the Artizan D roll.

The DeBence Wellershaus Fairground Organ, Scotty Greene; Issue #18
Describes history & restoration of 58 key barrel organ built before 1904 and converted to books

The Edgerton 89-key Gavioli Fairground Organ, William Edgerton; Issue #14
History and description

The Gavioli Organ, “Madam Laura,” on PBS, Vincent Astor; Issue #37
The 87-key Gavioli organ was once part of the Paul and Laura Eakins collection housed first
at the Gay 90s Village in Sikeston, Missouri; then at the Gay 90s Melody Museum in St. Louis and later at Bellm's Cars and Music of Yesterday in Sarasota, FL.

The Haughawout Ruth, Terry Haughawout & Ron Bopp; Issue #17
History and restoration of a Model 38 Ruth fairground organ imported circa 1912 to Long Beach, CA, sold to Bud Hurlbut in 1970 then Dan Slack in 1986, and then to Terry Haughawout.

The Rise, Blossom & Fall of the Gavioli Factory, Hans Van Oost; Issues #29 & 32
Describes family and company history and includes descriptions of clocks and small instruments as well as large mechanical organs.

The Savin Rock Gavioli - Technical Specifications, Dick Lokemoen; Issue #27
A large organ in a West Haven, CT museum which has been modified several times to different scales and now includes a MIDI interface.

Wilhelm Bruder Sohne Model 76 and 77 “Starkton” Organs, Jonathan Holmes; Issues #47 & 49
Provides history and description of the Wilhelm Bruder Söhne Model 76 and 77 “Starkton” carousel organs and describes the restoration of a Model 77. The Starkton, or "powerful sounding," organs were offered in the mid 1920s. The Model 76 has no percussion. The 46-note scale is listed, although not all holes were utilized on the 76 and 77.

Large Organs - Flemish Dance/Café Organs

121-key Decap Organs, Maarten vander Vlugt; Issue #28
Describes the history of dance organs made between 1936 and 1952. Includes 121-key Decap Scale.

A Bursens Organ Comes to California, Andrew Pilmer; Issue #8
Discusses delivery of a 68-key Bursens street organ to Ron Wolf, of San Diego, California and gives details about the Bursens family of Antwerp, Belgium and their products.

A Pioneer Hooghuys and a ‘Major League’ Mortier, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #7
Describes history of a Hooghuys facade on 101-key Mortier 971 organ once featured in Underground Atlanta

Albert Decap: 1931-2009, Peter Craig; Issue #41Albert Decap had a lifetime association with Decap brothers (“Gebroeders Decap”)  of Essenstraat, Belgium,  famed for their dance organs. He was primarily an arranger of organ books rather than an organ builder.

Gebroeders Decap - Antwerpen, Belgie - A Short History, Roger Mostmans; Issue #4
The Decap Brothers Company of Antwerp Belgium has been involved with mechanical organs since 1895. They are primarily known for dance organs. Features have included self-playing accordions, full drum kits, dummy saxophones on the fronts, book wheel for continuous play, and electronic sound-production.

Marie Jeanne - A 92-key Decap Pipe Organ, Roger Mostmans and Andrew Pilmer; Issue #42
Includes a short history of the Decap Brothers (Gebroeders Decap) firm in Antwerp, Belgium plus descriptions of several 92-key organs.

Large Organs - Street Organs

64-key Pleur; Mystery of “Das Eichhoernhen” Solved, Kevin Sheehan; Issue #39
In 2002, Elbert Pluer, of Bussum, Holland, finished constructing Das Eichhoernchen street organ according to Kevin's unique specifications with 64 keys and 200 pipes. The organ is hand-cranked and mounted on a 3-wheel push cart. Sebago, Maine, graphic artist Wendy Newcomb painted the facade dedicated to the Maine Red Squirrel (das Rote Eichhoernchen).

De Cornelis Leendert (The Dutch Canadian), Henk & Irene Noordemeer; Issue #46
In 2007 the Noordemeers visited the NBC (Dutch Book Organ Centre) museum and ended up ordering a new Dutch street organ. The organ plays from MIDI and includes a melody rank of 23 brass trumpets. The article also includes a builder’s prospective by Toon Heesbeen.

De Waterporter - Remembering a Classic European Street Organ, Bill Hall; Issue #45
De Waterpoorter  “The Water gate.” began its life as a 92-key Gavioli dance organ with a classic Mortier façade and provided music and entertainment in various Belgian dance halls. It was imported to the US in 1973 by Dr. William Murphy, Jr. of Miami, Florida.

Henk Veeningen’s Draaiorgels - A Collection of Street Organs in Holland, Henk Veeningen; Issue #19

Het Snotneusje (“Wippersnapper”), Hans van Oost; Issue #3
The draaiorgel (Dutch street organ) “het Snotneusje” is known as the bravest organ of the Netherlands. It is preserved in the Amsterdam Historic museum. During WW-II it sheltered people from German machine gun fire.

Metamorphosis No. 16—De Tiet, Rein Schenk; Issue #9
History of Carl Frei Dutch rebuild street organ now in Nellis' Dutch Village amusement Park in Holland, MI

Painting Organ Facades, Jetse de Boer; Issue #41
de Boer describes his work. He has been painting Dutch street organ fronts since 1960.

The 89-keyless Carl Frei Concert Organ - A Frei Original, Herb Brabandt; Issue #16
The organ was built for John Reid, of Happyland Shows in Detroit, Michigan, who apparently took delivery in 1956. It was sold to Bob Megerlie, then Dan Slack, then Herb Brabandt.

The eventful life of a Centenarian - An attempt to reconstruct the history of  "JUPITER", Cornelis Ruijgvoorn; Issue #18
Gavioli & Cie. of Paris serial number 9067 was built shortly after 1900 as a 67-key dance hall organ.

The Postcard Organ (“De Radiostadt — Australia”), Ron Bopp; Issue #12
A postcard shows the Dutch organ "De Radiostadt" entertaining Queen Juliana in Den Hague in 1962. The organ was later sold overseas and became "Australia" in Queensland. The article traces the organ's history.

“De Drei Kransen” (The Three Wreaths) - A Look into the Dutch Street Organ World, Maarten van der Vlugt; Issue #37
It started life as a Gavioli barrel organ, was rebuilt by Mortier to book operation, converted to a street organ, and in now in the Hall collection in Florida.

Provenance of the Ames 70-key Decap Dutch Street Organ, Maartn van der Vlugt; Issue #38
Built for F.G. van Leeuwen, carousel owner of Haarlem, Holland, and delivered in 1928.

Dutch Street Organs (A Brief History), Hans van Oost; Issues #13 & 15


Large Organs - Other Large Organs

A Gaviman by any other Name, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #8
The term “gaviman,” probably based on the popularity of the Gavioli organs, designated the person who was responsible for operating the organ with a fairground attraction. The attraction could have been a mechanical ride or a show front for a bioscope, a traveling menagerie or another form of tented show. Includes biographical sketches.

An Update on Bookmaking - The Art of Cardboard Book Construction, Ron Bopp; Issue #23
Focusses on the process of preparing the cardboard for books for mechanical organs.

Barrel Organs (or Street Organs) in Cuba, Raymond Messlier; Issue #20
Describes the construction and use of Limonaire-style book-playing organs in Cuba. These are primarily for dancing and manually played percussion is usually added.

Big Wheels & Band Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #29 & 30
Describes the use of mechanical organs in association with Ferris wheels on midways.

Clark’s Organ, Clark Hayman; Issue #40
Clark's Organ is a home-built band organ with 4 ranks of pipes, bells, and drums playing custom arrangements from MIDI files.

G. W. MacKinnon’s Organ Offerings, 1969-1975, Ron Bopp; Issue #30
From 1969 to 1975 G. W. MacKinnon, of Charlotte, North Carolina produced over ten catalogs of mechanical music instruments for the the mechanical organ collecting world.

Large Organs, Arthur Prinsen; Issue #14
An autobiographical piece by Arthur Prinsen of Belgium. He built and repaired many mechanical organs, particularly ones for use as dance organs. Coverage includes travelling dance tents.

Mechanical Organs, Henri Quittard & Maurice Lenoir - translated by Björn Isebaert; Issue #44
This article is reprinted from the journal “Le monde illustré” from 11th November 1899. It describes construction of large organs in Paris.

Mechanical Organs of the American Traveling Circus, Menagerie and Wild West, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #4
As early as 1821 a barrel organ made by Joseph Beloudy travelled with a menagerie. Acts included both people and animals playing crank organs and mechanical pianos. Between 1850 and 1915 they were mounted in parade wagons.

North Tonawanda: Rare Machine ensures Wurlitzer sound for years to come, Neale Gulley; Issue #41
Reprint from The Tonawanda News,  July 2, 2009 describing Douglas Hershberger's operation of the original Wurolitzer roll punch, and the trove of about 2,500 original Wurlitzer “master” rolls, at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum.

Organ Figures, Shane Seagrave; Issue #33
An illustrated discussion of the wooded figures found on European band organs, including photos of the animation mechanisms.

Painting Organ Facades, Jetse de Boer; Issue #41
de Boer describes his work. He has been painting Dutch street organ fronts since 1960.

Prtljaga’s Organ - An Interview with John Prtljaga, Ron Bopp; Issue #41
Describes the 75-key organ constructed by John Prtljaga of Barberton, Ohio.

Repeated Tunes on Wurlitzer & B.A.B. Rolls, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #2
Discusses Wurlitzer band organ music for 125, 150 and 165 scales produced by Wurlitzer, B.A.B. and Ralph Tussing.

Ringing and Ringling: Showmens Bells Chimes & Related Novelty Instruments, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #20, 21 & 22
Presents a history of a variety of instruments, both mechanical and hand played, which were used by circuses, showboats, and other traveling shows. These included hand-bell ringers, bell "Pianos," bells on band organs, circus bell wagons, marimba bands, and the Deagan “Unaphone.”

The B.A.B. Organ Company, Matthew Caufield; Issue #26
E. Bona, Andrew Antoniazzi and later Dominick (Domenico) Brugnolotti and their sons operated a succession of New York shops, first making "hurdy-gurdies," and later working with band organs. They may be best known for their B.A.B band organ scale and rolls, and their conversion of organs to their scale.

The Band Organ in America, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #12
Discusses early history of mechanical organs including clocks, churches, streets, and shows.

The Elusive Roll, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #11
Describes the reconstruction of Wurlitzer roll number 6720.

The Grand Dad of all Automated Street & Band Organs, Ron Schmuck; Issue #20
Discusses the Salzburg Stier barrel organ constructed about 1515 in the castle.

The Jameson Chest, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #35
The article discusses US Patent 1367263, by Charles V. Jameson, on which the Wurlitzer unit valve is based.


Other Instruments - Pianos, Orchestrions, Bells, Horn Vehicles, etc.

With Strings Attached: Gavioli’s Piano-Quartet and Related Carousel Organs, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #39
Traces the history of the "Piano-Quartet" and other orchestrions made by the Gavioli Company and Frati & Co. which were occasionally used on carousels. These instruments used both pipes and piano mechanisms.

Ringing and Ringling: Showmens Bells Chimes & Related Novelty Instrument, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #20, 21 & 22
Presents a history of a variety of instruments, both mechanical and hand played, which were used by circuses, showboats, and other traveling shows. These included hand-bell ringers, bell "Pianos," bells on band organs, circus bell wagons, marimba bands, and the Deagan “Unaphone.”

The Creation of Big Horn, Brad Simon; Issue #12
Big Horn was a truck mounted organ created by Hyler Bracey primarily using air horns and steam whistles and Tangley Calliope.

Piano Melodico - A Family of Mechanical Musical Instruments, Christian Greinacher; Issue #14
Giovanni Racca designed the Piano Melodico in 19th century. It used a punched cardboard book to play strings with felt hammers. It is an indoor instrument.

The Sale of Big Horn, Gareth Lee McNabb; Issue #30
Big Horn was a truck mounting a Verdin Bell Carillon, a Tangley Circus Calliope, 55 antique steam whistles, 46 air whistles, 18 train, boat, submarine and truck horns, 4 ship horns including the world's largest air horn and 21 fire alarm, emergency, railroad trolley, train bells, and 2 US Navy destroyer steam sirens in its final configuration.

Le “Mecanophone”, Ron Bopp; Issue #27
The Mecanophone used truck horns controlled by a 42-note hand organ mounted on a 15 ton 1935 Citroën truck.

Leonardo Da Vinci E Il Tamburo Meccanico (Leonardo Da Vinci’s Defined Mechanical Drum), Ernestino Marchetti; Issue #44
AMMI (the Mechanical Music Association of Italy) built a cart-based machine which beats a drum as it is pulled down a road based on Da Vinci’s drawings.

Mechanical Musical Instrument Collections

Gems from the Milhous Collection, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #32
The Milhous Collection in Boca Raton, Florida (now dispersed) included a huge variety of organs. This article presents information on a Gebrüder Bruder Model 104 Band Organ, an M. Welte & Sons “Wotan” Brass Band Orchestrion, an A. Ruth & Son Model 37 Band Organ, a Gavioli & Cie./J. Verbeeck 114-key Fair Organ    , a Limonaire Frères 50-key “Jazzbandophone”, a Gaudin & Cie./J. Verbeeck 125-key Concert Organ, aTheofiel Mortier/J. Verbeeck 115-key Concert Organ, a Wurlitzer Style 153 Duplex Orchestral Organ, and a Wurlitzer Style 157 Duplex Orchestral Organ.

Memories of George Cushing and the Thursford Collection, Herb Brabandt; Issue #18
The Thursford Collection in Norfolk county, England includes steam-driven rollers, traction engines, lorries, and showmen’s engines.

Nederlands Boekorgel Centrum or NBC, Schmuck; Issue #31
Nederlands Boekorgel Centrum is a modern  partnership between Cris van Laarhoven and Anthony (Toon) Heesbeen  in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, near Tilburg. Their operation includes the  Museum Dansat, which houses several large dance organs and a dance floor, as well as a workshop for restoration and new organ construction.

Paul Eakins' Gay 90s Organ Collection, Ron Bopp; Issue #4
Eakins' Gay 90's Village museum was open 1961 to 1966 as part of a tourist attraction which resembled a Wild West town in Sikeston, MO. Many of the instruments were moved to the Gay 90’s Melody Museum in St. Louis which opened in July 1967 and closed in 1970. The collection included coin-operated pianos and orchestrions and band and fair organs. Organ names included Big Bertha, Sadie Mae, Madam Laura, Hot Lips Houlihan, Katy Lou, Big Nelly & Emperor. Several LP records & tapes of the organs are available.

The Bill and Cindy Hall Organ Collection, Ron Bopp; Issue #25
Describes organs in a private collection near Orlando, FL. Organs include a 49-key Prinsen, 84-key Dutch Street Organ, 84-key Mortier Dance Orchestrion, 121-key Mortier Café Organ, and an 89-key Gavioli Organ.

The Nunn Organ Collection, Bill Nunn; Issue #32
Describes a private collection in Minnesota which has included a carousel, a 57-key Gavioli Fair Organ - Serial #8627, a 38-key Pluer Dutch Street Organ, a Wellershaus Fair Organ, a 37-key D. Poirot barrel organ, an 80 key Mahauden Dance Organ, a 79-keyless Richter Fair Organ, an 81-key Marenghi Dance Organ - Serial #2153, a 44-key German barrel organ, a 52-keyless (model 107) Gebr. Bruder Fair Organ - Serial  #5260, a 77-key Hooghuys Dance Organ LH620, a Wurlitzer Style 125 Band Organ - Serial # 972, a Wurlitzer Replica 146-153, and a 75-keyless Mortier Fair Organ - Serial # 971

The Sanfilippo Organ Collection, Ron Bopp; Issue #15
Describes the famous collection near Chicago as it was in 2003.

Reflections on the Bovey Collection, Art Reblitz; Issue #5
Virginia City Montana coin-operated pianos and band organs

Creative Techniques - Mechanical

A Folding Organ Cart, Jim Partrick; Issue #33
Describes construction of a cart for a 20 note OSI crank organ.

A Treatise on Pipe Chest Rebuilding, Tim Wagner; Issues #48 & 49
Describes the rebuilding of the chest for a theater organ. The chest contains the electric valves and air channels.

A Wagon for Elizabeth, Mike Barnhart; Issue #8
Adapting a wooden wagon for a 25-note paper roll Alan Pell crank (monkey) organ.

A Wagon for “Finster,” Tim Wagner; Issue #43
"Finster Baby" is a 12 pounds, 20-note crank organ made by Der Orgelbau Im Wienerwald, in Austria. The article desribes a cart used as a means of transporting the organ, rolls and accessories and to create a more noticeable street presence for the infant.

Adding Bells to a Band Organ using a Pittman Chest, David Wasson; Issue #16
Design and construction of a xylophone containing jumping "Pitman valves" to combine two vacuum signals to control vacuum pneumatic motors.

An Update on Bookmaking - The Art of Cardboard Book Construction, Ron Bopp; Issue #23
Focuses on the process of preparing the cardboard for books for mechanical organs.

Arranging Music for the Gem Roller Organ, Charles Moore; Issue #13
Includes scale and timing information and a list new tunes.

Band Organ & Carousel Folk Art, Ellie Hagerty, Issue #45
The author describes miniature band organ facades she has made.

Build Your Own Band Organ (It may be easier than you think!), Burl Updyke; Issue #48
Describes construction of a MIDI organ, guided by the Bob Stanozek plans for the Wurlitzer 104/105.

Building a 43-note Calliope, Dave Kerr; Issues #8 & 9
Includes some calliope history and describes construction of 43 and 48 note instruments using a vacuum cleaner blower. Both home-made metal and plastic pipes (whistles) are described. Includes tables of pipe dimensions. This instrument is keyboard controlled using Peterson pipe organ magnets (valves), and does not play from rolls or MIDI.

Building a Wurlitzer 105 Band Organ, Howard Wyman; Issues #5, #6 & #7
Illustrates construction of a roll-playing Wurlitzer 125 scale band organ.

Building the John Smith Organ, Paul Senger; Issues #24 & 25
Describes building the John Smith Busker 20 note organ from plans. Includes author's techniques and sources of materials.

Easy Monkey, Wally Venable; Issue #30
Describes adapting a cymbal-clapping monkey toy for use with a crank organ.

Fear of Organ Pipes - Learning to Tune it out, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #14
The author describes his first attempt at tuning a band organ and offers suggestions to others.

Hand-Punching My Own Rolls from Midboek Templates, Wally Venable; Issue #35
Describes construction of a simple single-hole, foot operated, punch mounted on a typewriter table.
Also covers creating arrangements using the MIDI editor PowerTracks Pro, and then "marking" rolls for punching using MIDIBoek software.

Haskell Style Pipes for Band Organs, David Wasson; Issue #28
Describes construction of a two-chamber wooden pipe which allows building a shorter pipe for violin bass notes.

How to Make a Wurlitzer Tracker Bar, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #22
Probably better titled "How Wurlitzer band organ tracker bars were made." Includes cross-section photos and patent drawings.

How is an Organ Music-Book Made?, Leonard Grymonprez; Issue #47
Describes methods of Arthur Prinsen and Eugene Peersman in arranging for band organs.

How Wurlitzer Rolls are Made, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #7
History and technical description of the Wurlitzer perforator as it now operates at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. Topics covered include arranging, cardboard master, paper slitter, indexing rods & interposers, compensatation for roll speed, 125, 150, & 165 scales.

Making a Crankshaft for a Band (or Hand) Organ, David Wasson; Issue #42
The method described is that all parts are cut from rod and flat stock, machined, pressed together, and then pinned. While welding will certainly do the job, machining all of the parts makes for a much neater job, and allows for creation of the small shoulders on the throws that keep the pump sticks centered.

Miniature Band Organs, Eddie Evarts; Issue #49
Description and photos of band organ models made by Eddie and Bernice Evarts.

Creative Techniques - Music Production

Musical Statistics on the 20er Organ Scale, Harald M. Müller; Issue #25
Describes the various chords, etc. which can be put in arrangements for music using the Carl Frei 20-er scale

My First Painting of an Organ Façade (Wurlitzer Style 153), Beth Edellapietro, Issue #47
Tom Billy had a facade created Paul Dyer and retained Beth Edellapietro to do the painting.

New Music for old Roller Organs, Charles Moore & Walter Moore; Issue #13
Describes a computer-operated roller pinning machine which produces 20-note Gem Concert Honor Rolls

Arranging Music for the Gem Roller Organ, Charles Moore; Issue #13
Includes scale and timing information and a list new tunes.

Punch Your Own Organ Rolls (with Computer Help), Mike Knudsen; Issue #15
Describes use of author's program UltiMusE running under Linux to mark (arrange) and print templates for his Raffin 31 organ.

The Haughawout Book-Punching Machine, Terry Haughawout; Issue #23
Describes construction of  about 20 punches in the 1980s. Article includes photos and drawings. Also includes photos of many other organ book punches and their use in band organ factories.

The Jazz Flute—A Possible Addition for Home Grown Band Organs; David Wasson; Issue #12
Jazz flutes are typically found on dance organs, especially Belgian dance organs. This article presents background information and describes construction of a set for Trudy.

The Pitman Chest And Its Possible Use In Band Organ Construction; David Wasson; Issue #8
Design and construction of a high speed organ chest containing jumping "Pitman valves" to combine two vacuum signals.

The Repair of Organ Books, René Cauche; Issue #43
Describes repairs to books for mechanical organ book for three types of damage:  torn pages; pages torn at the fold; and a torn fragment (i.e. a tear around perforation)

Traditional Band Organ Pipe Construction, David Wasson; Issues #35 & 36
A thoroughly illustrated description of the tools an techniques used to construct wooden organ pipes in a modern workshop.

Tuning Sleeves for Wooden Pipes, Mike Knudsen; Issue #20
Making an open wooden pipe longer with a metal sleeve so that it can be tuned properly.

Wanting More Organ, Ralph Schultz; Issue #44
Describes addition of glockenspiel and tympani to a Stinson Model 47 band organ.

Creative Techniques - Digital

A Newly Developed Scanner for Pinned Barrels, Leonardo Perretti; Issue #41
The author was a restorer of the barrel organs belonging to the Royal Palace in Caserta, Campania region, Italy. He built a scanning machine which uses a servo motor to rotate a barrel with precision while a traveling carriage with a micro switch detects pin positions. A non-contact laser sensor is planned. Pin data are imported in a table, sorted according to time, and then converted to MIDI.

APrint - A Simple Book MIDI Software, Patrice Freydiere; Issue #38
APrint permits you to load a MIDI file, choose the organ and the transposition (this is how the midi file is read and interpreted), listen to the piece of music (using the organ note’s capabilities), and then when satisfied, print the organ book. The software is available in several languages, French, German, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian.

APrint - Comments, Mike Barnhart; Issue #39
A letter-to-the-editor which presents the writer's experiences with the APrint MIDI book software.

Build a MIDI Interface for the Raffin, Mike Knudsen; Issues #18 & #19
Describes construction of a MIDI interface "T-ed" to the original pneumatic roll system in a 31 note Raffin crank organ. It includes a discussion of "organ magnets" and the MIDI driver card. The organ can play both paper rolls and MIDI files.

Longevity of Music Media, Bogato; Issue #17

MIDI Conversion of a Roll Controlled Johnson Style 163 Band Organ, Frank Noell; Issue #49
The MIDI board in the valve box is a UM0, made by MIDIator Systems4 of San Diego, CA. An Edirol UM-2 (made by Roland) serves as the MIDI output device from the server computer. The UM-2 attaches to a USB port on the computer. The valves used are no longer available, but the author suggests valves from Peterson Electro-Musical Products.


MIDI Modification of the OSI Organ, Jim Partrick; Issue #48
The OSI crank organ was supplied with a proprietary digital interface using protected MIDI files. On Jim's request, Bill Klinger developed an open MIDI interface which plays MIDI files on SD cards which is plug-compatible with the OSI organ. This story outlines the project.

MIDI-fication of a Bruder Fair Organ, Tom Hutchinson, Bob Stout, Bill Klinger ; Issue #37
In 2008 Hutchinson purchased Ron Bopp's 52-key Bruder book-playing carousel organ. The article describes non-destructive installation of an added MIDI system. It cover selection and instsallation of direct electric valves, driver board, power supply, computer interface and computer.

Music Arranging and the Computer, Tom Meijer; Issue #6
Some of the advantages of using MIDI and a computer instead of paper and pencil:
(1) ... quicker and easier - especially concerning repetitions and tempo adjustments...
(2) ... listen to what he has arranged while working ...
(3) ... easily transpose a finished arrangement from one scale to another...
(4) ... print arrangement on a paper master, or cut the book with a computerized punch ... Or supply the customer with the arrangement as MIDI ...

Scanning Sheet Music to Produce MIDI Files, Wally Venable; Issue #50
It is possible to produce MIDI files from sheet music using a personal computer and a scanner. The author uses PhotoScore Lite. SmartScore MIDI Edition and SharpEye Music Reader appears to do similar work. The article illustrates the author's processes.

Using MIDIBoek as an Analytic Tool in Arranging, Wally Venable; Issue #49
MIDIBoek is a free program for Windows computers which was developed for use in printing templates for organ rolls and books. It is also a powerful tool for analyzing musical arrangements while creating files for both roll and MIDI organs. The article illustrates the author's processes.

Rallies & Mechanical Organ Events

2008 Australian Mechanical Organ Society (AMOS) Rally, Echuca, Victoria, Australia, Daphne Holt; Issue #39
AMOS holds only one rally every year, each held in a different place. The article includes photos of several organs.

2011 Raffin Company Open House, Rafael Engeser; Issue #49

A Pilgrimage to the KDV’s 50th, Mike Barnhart; Issue #22
The Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden’s (KDV) is a Dutch society for the preservation of fair organs, street-organs, dance hall organs, orchestrions and other automatic musical instruments as well as their history and development.

Bumbling Bruder Tour Issue #3 (2002), Ron Bopp; Issue #13
A 12 day tour of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland, including the7th International Orgelfest, by 44 people to see 136 or more large organs.

Bumbling Bruder Tour Issue #4 (2005), Ron Bopp; Issue #25
Forty-eight tour participants (mostly COAA members) toured the large array of mechanical instruments.

Bumbling Bruder Tour Issue #5 (2008), Ron Bopp: Issue #37
June 2nd to June 17th, 2008, found 47 COAA members touring England and Europe in search of fairground and Dutch street organs.

Bumbling Bruder Tour Issue #6 (2011), Ron Bopp; Issue #50
The 2011 Bumbling Bruder Tour consisted of 26 COAA members traveling to Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland for two exciting weeks of organ viewing and listening.

Bursens Centennial Celebration, Hoboken, Belgium - 2008, Björn Isebaert; Issue #39
During October 2008, the recently founded Belgian society, MechaMusica vzw (MEMU) organized a series of events to celebrate the 100th centennial anniversary of the beginnings of the Bursens organ factory.

COAA’s 2009 Mid-winter Meeting, Liz Barnhart; Issue #39
Describes activities at the first COAA Mid-Winter Meeting, held in Kissimmee, Florida.

Deafening Protest (Street Organs in Haarlem), Ruijgvoorn; Issue #13

Fair Vintage Organ Rally, Widnes, England, Wally Venable; Issue #26
Widnes is a town north of Manchester which hosts regular fair organ rallies.

Grand Opening of Cafesjian’s Carousel, Francy Reitz; Issue #5
June 3, 2000, PTC ( Philadelphia Toboggan Company) carousel Issue #33, Cafesjian's Carousel, celebrated grand opening in Como Park, St Paul, MN. Originally in the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Wurlitzer 153 band organ.

International Drehorgel Freunde Berline e.V.—“The Cold War, Berlin and Organ Grinders," Tom Griffith; Issue #45
During the summer of 1990 over three hundred organ grinders celebrated the opening of the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin with a parade of  drehorgels (crank organs) down the Unter den Linden from Brandenburg Gate to Alexander Platz. The Berlin Post Office, to commemorate the anniversary, issued a special organ grinder stamp.

12th Internationales Drehorgelfest, Thun Switzerland - 2001, Tom Griffith; Issue #13
Describes the International Small-Organ Festival in Thun, Switzerland held every two years.

16th Internationales Drehorgelfest, Berlin - Kopenick - 2002, Tom Griffith; Issue #17
Describes the International Small-Organ Festival in Berlin, held every two years and sponsored by Internationale Drehorgelfreunde, Berlin e.V.

Joseph Raffin Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Tom Griffith; Issue #5
40th anniversary of Orgelbau Raffin located in Uberlingen, Germany, builder of small organs

Small Organs - Big Rally, Walter Moore; Issue #11
Describes showing small mechanical organs at the State Fair of Texas in  Dallas.

“Happy 10th Birthday, COAA!” - The First COAA Organ Rally Trolleyville (Olmstead Falls, Ohio), Ron Bopp; Issue #37
Looks back at the start of the Carousel Organ Association of America.

The Greatest Show on Earth - Dorset Steam Fair, Herb Brabandt; Issue #20
On planning a visit to the show to see steam tractors, country, and fairground exhibits

The Haarlem Phoenix Tour, Michael Clark; Issue #24
Describes the 2004 UK Mechanical Organ Owners Society Tour in Holland.

The Tradition in Waldkirch & A Review of the 200 Year Orgelfest, Wolfgang Brommer & Peter Scherle; Issue #2
In 1999 Waldkirch, Germany celebrated the 200th anniversary of organ building. Organ building and orchestrion workshops located there have included Carl Frei, Mathias Martin, Bruder, Ruth, and Weber, Gavioli and Limonaire.


Personal Histories & Tributes

50 Years of the Barrel Organ Company, Raffin - A look back At the Jubilee Weekend, Rafael Engeser; Issue #45
Following his training in Ludwigsburg, Josef Raffin set up his business in 1960. In the beginning of the 70s, he was given the task of restoring a barrel organ, and this motivated him to produce the 20 Series-Player Organ, and later larger concert organs with trumpets.

A Note about Paul Eakins and Band Organ History, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #38
Discusses possible uncertainties in information about the origins of some organs in the collection of Paul Eakins, pioneer collector and exhibitor.

Albert Decap: 1931-2009, Peter Craig; Issue #41Albert Decap had a lifetime association with Decap brothers (“Gebroeders Decap”)  of Essenstraat, Belgium,  famed for their dance organs. He was primarily an arranger of organ books rather than an organ builder.

An Afternoon with Victor Chiappa, Tracy Tolzman; Issue #34
In 1984, while in London on other maters, Tolzman visited “Chiappa Ltd.-Organ Builders” at 31 Eyre Street Hill. The article illustrates how this organ depot appeared at that time.

Arthur Prinsen - a Life full of Music, Daniel DeBie & Björn Isebaert; Issue #42
Arthur Prinsen was born in Belgium in 1933. As a member of a dance band, Arthur regularly performed
in halls where a mechanical dance organ could be found. Fascinated by the mechanism, he studied under
arranger Urbain van Wichelen and took over his business. He later became a builder of dance and concert organs.

Dan Slack (1945 - 1987) - A Pioneer in American Organ Rallies, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #6
Dan Slack was a band organ collector involved in early rallies of  the MBSI Mid America Chapter.

Frank Rider (Observations by Two Close Friends), Len Railsback & Richard Hujar; Issue #17
Frank Rider was born in Port Clinton, Ohio, Oct. 3l, 1931, died June 10th, 2003. He was a collector and active in COAA and MBSI.

Giovanni Bacigalupo: 1889-1978, Mark Brayne; Issue #38
Reprint of an obituary of a famous Berlin barrel organ builder.

Later Bacigalupo-Berlin Paper Roll Organs and the “Olympia” Legend, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #43
The Bacigalupo Söhne firm in Berlin  produced pressure box hand organs of 41 and 52-hole scales that played by perforated paper rolls instead of pinned cylinders in the 1920s.

L. Hooghuys, Geraardsbergen; The History of a Belgian Family of Organ Builders, Raymond Messelier; Issue #48
The family started in the church organ building business and switched to mechanical organs in 1880. Their products ranged from hand organs to large ones.

Luigi Bacigalupo to Louis Bacigalupi, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #40, 41, & 42
This extensive biography traces the career of Luigi Bacigalupo, organ builder, arranger and inventor from Berlin, Germany to America. Luigi Bacigalupo’s most important contribution to band organ development was his invention of a successful roll-playing system. Two German patents were received, DE94055 and DE106793 for a vacuum control system.

Hal O’Rouke (1944-2010), Tom Griffith; Issue #44
Hal O’Rourke created special commercial relationships with the Raffin Company, Ian Alderman and Melvyn Wright, and developed provisions for currency exchange, insurance coverage and door-to-door shipping facilitation to the United States from Germany and the the United Kingdom which greatly helped American crank organ buyers.

Bram Vader (1937-2010), Fred Dahlinger, Issue #44
Bram Vader of Kolhorn, Holland, was one of continental Europe’s best known showmen and organ owners.

Memorial Articles, Cliff Gray; Issue #23
Cliff H. Gray, Jr., 1920-2005, attended rallies with his Wurlitzer and Bruder organs.

Memorial Articles, Ken Smith; Issue #23
Kenneth L. Smith, 1928  to 2005, was an amateur band organ builder, rally organizer, and teacher of many other restorers and builders. His 89-keyless “Gavioli” organ replica was well known.

Mike Kitner, 1944-2000, Bill Black; Issue #10
Mike Kitner, a collector and restorer of band organs and player pianos, spent most of his life in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Norman Baker (A Life History), Ron Bopp; Issues #28 & 29
Baker, inventor of the Tangley Calliope, worked in the circus as a barker, created a mentalist show, established powerful radio stations, established a cancer hospital, and served time in jail for mail fraud.

Norman Baker’s General Merchandise Catalog (1929), Ron Bopp; Issue #48
Norman Baker had interests in many things beyond the Tangley Calliaphone, as shown in this catalog.

Orgelbau-Meister Hofbauer, Fred Gerer; Issue #28
Hofbauer is a German firm building a range of products running from organ clocks to church organs. This article focuses on their hand-cranked organs which have included both roll-playing and electronic memory instruments.

Oscar Grymonprez (1904-2008), Tom Meijer; Issue #39
The Grymonprez family were organ builders and dealers in Belgium, focussing on dance organs. Article includes an inventory of the organs delivered by Oscar and Leonard to Charles Hart, St.Albans, England.

Ozwald “Ozzie” Wurdeman A Lifetime Love of Mechanical Music; Ron Bopp; Issue #5
Wurdeman sold and maintained Western Electric coin-operated pianos & Mills Novelty Violino Virtuoso, then restored and preserved them. He and his father had owned and operated “Electric Violin Company” & "B.A.B. Organ Company" & "The Wurdeman Music Hall" in Nevada City, Montana and worked on the Bovey Collection.

Peter Bacigalupi, San Francisco, CA, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #42
After moving to San Francisco Bacigalupi was a dealer in pianos, orchestrions and band organs made in the eastern United States and Chicago.

Ralph Tussing, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #32
Discusses the Tussing family who were employed in the Wurlitzer factories and the T.R.T. Manufacturing Company of North Tonawanda, NY which later produced band organ rolls on Wurlitzer perforators. Ralph arranged rolls for Wurlitzer organ at T.R.T. After Ralph's death in 1974 company assets were sold to Doyle Lane.

Reflections on Harvey N. Roehl, Bob Conant; Issue #5
Harvey (1924-2000) and Marion Roehl started to collect mechanical musical instruments in the late 1940s. They founded the Vestal Press which publishes materials related to mechanical music including books, reprints of sales and service information, and recordings of band organs, player pianos and music boxes. They were frequent attendees of the MBSI, AMICA, ABOA and COAA band organ rallies.

Jerry Doring (1918-2009), Ron Bopp; Issue #42
Jerry Doring of Arcadia, California, was a collector who recently wrote an article on his Bruder Elite Apollo for Carousel Organ  Issue #40.

Remembering Carl Frei, Rein Schenk; Issue #50
Rein Schenk grew up in Amsterdam and knew many of the Frei street organs before he met Carl Frei in Waldkirch in 1966.

Remembering Jack Hewes, Bruce Miller; Issue #29

The Story of Capt. John Leonard’s Fascination with Military Band Organs, John Leonard; Issue # 4
He grew up in Toronto, Ontario, loved carousel Hanlan's Point amusement park. Some history of park. Owned Wurlitzer Style 125 now at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, a a Wurltizer 146A. finally North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works Style 173.

The B.A.B. Organ Company, Matthew Caufield; Issue #26
E. Bona, Andrew Antoniazzi and later Dominick (Domenico) Brugnolotti and their sons operated a succession of New York shops, first making "hurdy-gurdies," and later working with band organs. They may be best known for their B.A.B band organ scale and rolls, and their conversion of organs to their scale.

The Johnson Organ Company, Lance Johnson; Issue #22
The Johnson Organ Company is a regional builder of church organs in the upper Midwest which also builds a variety of band organs, primarily based on Wurlitzer designs.

The LeLudion Story, Eve Crasse; Issue #8
Eve and Philippe Crasse opereate the LeLudion company in the south of France. Since 1984 they have built organs including 27, 32, and 64 note models and produce book music.

The Stinson Band Organ Company, Incorporated - Bellefontaine, Ohio, Ron Bopp; Issue #33
Since the late 1970s Don Stinson has been building a variety of new band organs primarily based on Wurlitzer designs. Although he has produced many roll-playing instruments, he has been a major proponent of MIDI systems. The company has manufactured over 200 new band organs that are located throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Malaysia.

In memoriam . . . Dave Miner, Ron Bopp; Issue 38
David R. Miner (19?? to 2007) was founder of Miner Manufacturing in Donnellson, Iowa, and manufactured Tangley Calliaphone calliopes and traditional steam calliopes.

Dwayne Steck - 1931 to 2007; Issue #32
Steck was a Texas showman and organ collector.

Charles Walker - Died 2007 - Issue #34
Charles Walker's relationship with COAA involved restoration work on the  carousel and band organ at the Lake Winnepesaukah ("Lake Winnie), Georgia Amusement Park and hosting COAA rallies at that park. He was also involved in the American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS), and the National Carousel Association (NCA).

Art Eltzroth - Died 2007 - Ron Bopp - Issue #32
Art was a meber of COAA, AMICA and MBSI and owned a Stinson organ.

Ed Schmidt (1933-2007) - Issue #33
Edward Franklyn Schmidt, of McFarland, Kansas, worked for many collectors building and repairing “band” and other pipe organs all over the country. Ed also built his own complete band organ.

Paul Cuoco - Died 2008 - Issue #35
“Coke” bought and sold band organs, rolls and parts.

Cynthia Craig - Died 2008 - Issue #35
Cynthia and husband Gary hosted 8 Rallies in Missouri and traveled to various states playing their organs and in costume. 

Fran Wade - Died 2008 - Issue #35
Fran and husband Harold were regulars at rallies. She served as Treasurer of Mid-Am Chapter of MBSI.

Walter P. Bellm - died 2010 - Issue #47
Walter P. Bellm, long time collector, owner of Bellm’s Cars & Music of Yesterday museum, and Past President of the Music Box Society, passed on November 28, 2010.

Tony J. Beugelsdijk (1950 - 2009), John Iles - Issue #42
Tony had completed 3/4 of the construction of a Wurlitzer 105 when he died.

Jan L. M. van Dinteren (1930-2011), Fred Dahlinger; Issue #50
Author of many articles in Het Pierement, journal of the KDV, on European fair organ history.

Death Notices - Norma Redd, Todd Augsberger, Dick Bogart, & Andy Bogart; Issue #48

Death Notices - Walter Moore, Fritz Gellerman, Bill Greshem, and Jere Van Wormer; Issue #49

Death Notice - Ben Holton; Issue #50

Mechanical Organs Presentation

Military Band Organ Performs on Stage with Bruce Springsteen; Issue #34
A band organ was lifted to the stage by hydraulics and then played The Man on the Flying Trapeze. The organ was made by William Kromer based on the Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works, Style 159 and using the Wurlitzer Style 125 roll system.


Miscellaneous

Adventures with the “Southern Rose”, Ron Keisler; Issues #43 & 44
Ron & Glynn Keisler purchased a 52-keyless Ruth band organ in poor condition in 1984. After 6 years of restoration they began showing the organ, primarily in South Carolina.

Military Band Organ Performs on Stage with Bruce Springsteen; Issue #34
A band organ was lifted to the stage by hydraulics and then played The Man on the Flying Trapeze. The organ was made by William Kromer based on the Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works, Style 159 and using the Wurlitzer Style 125 roll system.

Band Organ Adventure(s), Don Janisch; Issue #36
Story of the fraudlent sale of a Wurlitzer band organ.

Bohemian Rhapsody (a Review), Ron Bopp; Issue #17
National Geographic's August, 2003 edition featured an article entitled Bohemian Rhapsody revolving around the Marais area of Paris and featuring Dominique Alavoine, a street singer with a crank organ.

Book It! A Summary of Mechanical Musical instruments Operated by Book Music, Ron Bopp; Issues #46 & 47
Primarily used on European hand, band and street organs, organ books evolved from Jacquard loom punched cards. The article summarizes history, book production, and music boxes, pianos, orchestrions and organs playing books. 

Bozo’s Merry-Go-Round Music - Ride 1, Eric Beheim; Issue #28
Review of sound recording of  Wurlitzer 165 music.

Bozo’s Merry-Go-Round Music - Ride 2, Eric Beheim; Issue #33
Review of sound recording of  Wurlitzer 165 music.

Christian Tussing’s Patent of 1914, Ron Bopp; Issue #18
Discusses a patent for a cylinder organ by a member of a famous North Tonowana, NY organ building family.

Flue Pipe Acoustics (The Physics behind the Sound of Flutes, Organ Pipes and Whistles), Richard J. Weisenberger; Issue #7
Discusses the effects of cutup on on operating pressure and acoustical output. Focusses on very loud sounds including steam calliope whistles and his invention the Toroidal whistle.

G. W. MacKinnon’s Organ Offerings, 1969-1975, Ron Bopp; Issue #30
From 1969 to 1975 G. W. MacKinnon, of Charlotte, North Carolina produced over ten catalogs of mechanical music instruments for the the mechanical organ collecting world.

Hey, Where’s the Monkey?, Angelo Rulli; Issue #13

History of the American Band Organ Association (ABOA), Ken Smith; Issue #10
The American Band Organ Association (ABOA) was started in 1981. It was informally structured. ABOA held 33 rallies between 1985 and 1999. Article includes lists of rallies and members.

How Did I Get Involved?, David S. Smith; Issue #9
David Smith was Editor of the Key Frame of the UK Fair Organ Preservation Society (FOPS). This article discusses his interests in fairgrounds, organs, rides, and his production of postcards.

Hurdy Gurdy vs Crank Organ, Angelo Rulli; Issue #27
A hurdy gurdy is actually a string instrument played with a crank, but the term is popularly used to describe crank organs. The article describes and illustrates figureines showing musicians with both types of instrument.

I Ran Away With the Circus, Angelo Rulli; Issue #22
Following a 1986 appearance on the “A Prairie Home Companion” radio program, Angelo was invited to appear with Circus Flora.

International Drehorgel Freunde Berline e.V.—“The Cold War, Berlin and Organ Grinders," Tom Griffith; Issue #45
During the summer of 1990 over three hundred organ grinders celebrated the opening of the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin with a parade of  drehorgels (crank organs) down the Unter den Linden from Brandenburg Gate to Alexander Platz. The Berlin Post Office, to commemorate the anniversary, issued a special organ grinder stamp.

Le “Mecanophone”, Ron Bopp; Issue #27
The Mecanophone used truck horns controlled by a 42-note hand organ mounted on a 15 ton 1935 Citroën truck.

Leonardo Da Vinci E Il Tamburo Meccanico (Leonardo Da Vinci’s Defined Mechanical Drum), Ernestino Marchetti; Issue #44
AMMI (the Mechanical Music Association of Italy) built a cart-based machine which beats a drum as it is pulled down a road based on Da Vinci’s drawings.

Leroy Shield’s Music for the Wurlitzer 165, Tracy Tolzman; Issue #46
Wurlitzer 165 roll number 6846 is made up of 14 selections written by the little-known film music composer Leroy Shield.

Longevity of Music Media, Bogato; Issue #17

Luigi’s “Rescued”, Hal O’Roarke; Issue #6
Describes two coin operated “redemption” games named Luigi's Corner containing animated organ grinder and monkey figures purchased at an auction.

Marion Roehl Recordings - Some Reflections; Harvey Roehl; Issue #4
Harvey & Marion Roehl produced and sold recordings of circus, fairground and carvival music.

The Mechanical “Savoyard”, Ron Bopp, Issue #45
Polyphon’s “Savoyard” is a disc-playing musical box housed in a cranked organ case which is supported by a scissor-type stand and cranked by a nearly full-sized terra cotta grinder.

Mechanical Organs, Henri Quittard & Maurice Lenoir - translated by Björn Isebaert; Issue #44
This article is reprinted from the journal “Le monde illustré” from 11th November 1899. It describes construction of large organs in Paris.

Mediocre Restoration & Regulation, Art Reblitz; Issue #1
Call for restoration of mechanical organs to original standards

Mikey’s Band Organ Adventures, Mikey Mills; Issue #46
Describes his adventures up to 2011 when he was age 13.

Miniature Model Organs, George Mackey; Issue #21
Models of band organs, rides, wagons, and other features found on the fairground and in carnivals.

Monkey Tricks—How They are Trained For Hand Organ Service, Brian Flora; Issue #10
From The Harrisburg Patriot, July 11, 1889

Music Arranging and the Computer, Tom Meijer; Issue #6
Some of the advantages of using MIDI and a computer instead of paper and pencil:
(1) ... quicker and easier - especially concerning repetitions and tempo adjustments...
(2) ... listen to what he has arranged while working ...
(3) ... easily transpose a finished arrangement from one scale to another...
(4) ... print arrangement on a paper master, or cut the book with a computerized punch ... Or supply the customer with the arrangement as MIDI ...

Music Box Organs, Angelo Rulli; Issue #31
Discusses collectibles which portray band and crank organs and contain musical boxes.

One-Legged Grinders, Ron Bopp; Issue #30
Organ grinding in some places was restricted to those who could not do other work. Often these were former soldiers or victims on industrial accidents.

Organ Grinder Certificates, Ron Bopp; Issue #23
Modern organ grinders making public appearances often give people a chance to try cranking an organ and some award certificates. The article includes some samples.

Organ Grinders with Live Monkeys - A Dying Art, Vincent Morgan; Issue #29
The article focuses primarily on American professional organ grinders in the last thirty years or so. It includes a directory of known organ grinders.

Organ Illustrations used in Vintage Postcard Advertising, Ron Bopp; Issue #43
Includes American and European crank/hand organs and street pianos.

Patience is a Virtue - Anxiety isn’t, Ralph Schultz; Issue #10
Describes events related to the purchase of an Arthur Prinsen 48-key organ

Remembering Band and Dance Organs, Q. David Bowers; Issue #50
Dave Bowers discovered the world of automatic musical instruments in 1960 and went on to engage in
research in America and Europe. He has written many articles and several books, including the 1,008 page Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments, which is a standard reference.

Ringing and Ringling: Showmens Bells Chimes & Related Novelty Instruments, Fred Dahlinger; Issues #20, 21 & 22
Presents a history of a variety of instruments, both mechanical and hand played, which were used by circuses, showboats, and other traveling shows. These included hand-bell ringers, bell "Pianos," bells on band organs, circus bell wagons, marimba bands, and the Deagan “Unaphone.” Originally published in three parts, but now combined in a single .PDF file.

“Singing” by Robert Louis Stevenson - A Chance to Illustrate the Organ Grinder, Angelo Rulli; Issue #36
A poem by Stevenson has been used as the text for many "organ grinder" greeting cards.

Some Comments from an American Collector, Q. David Bowers; Issue #2
Bowers' collection included Ruth Style 38, 94-key Gebr. Bruder Military Symphony Orchestra, Caliola, Wurlitzer Style 125 Military Band Organ, Style 153, and 165 Military Band Organ.

The “Auto-Organ”, Ron Bopp; Issue #12
Describes 1909 invention by James R. England of Dallas of an organ driven by the rear wheels of a car.

The Ear & Hearing Protection; John Liljencrants; Issue #3
Focuses on music and organ tuning

The Elusive Roll, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #11
Describes the reconstruction of Wurlitzer roll number 6720.

The Happiest Music on Earth, Ron Bopp; Issue #11
About why we enjoy outdoor mechanical organs.

The Magic World of Showman’s Models, Atkinson; Issue #3
Models of band organs, rides, wagons, and other features found on the fairground and in carnivals

The Music of the Street, Brian Flora; Issue #9
Perspectives on the 19th Century organ grinder

The Mechanical “Savoyard”, Ron Bopp, Issue #45
Polyphon’s “Savoyard” is a disc-playing musical box housed in a cranked organ case which is supported by a scissor-type stand and cranked by a nearly full-sized terra cotta grinder.

The “Trailer”, Larry Kern; Issue #3
Describes a large trailer for a Model 187 Stinson Band Organ. This unit traveled thousands of miles each year for over 20 years.

The Very First Time, Tom McAuley; Issue #3
Describes attending his first mechanical organ rally

Letter regarding Wurlitzer roll 6500, Matthew Caulfield; Issue #42
Comment on Fred Dahlinger’s in the October 2009 Carousel Organ magazine.

Transporting Mechanical Organs - Carts and Trailers

The “Trailer”, Larry Kern; Issue #3
Describes a large trailer for a Model 187 Stinson Band Organ. This unit traveled thousands of miles each year for over 20 years.

A Folding Organ Cart, Jim Partrick; Issue #33
Describes construction of a cart for a 20 note OSI crank organ.

A Wagon for Elizabeth, Mike Barnhart; Issue #8
Adapting a wooden wagon for a 25-note paper roll Alan Pell crank (monkey) organ.

A Wagon for “Finster” ,Tim Wagner; Issue #43
"Finster Baby" is a 12 pounds, 20-note crank organ made by Der Orgelbau Im Wienerwald, in Austria. The article desribes a cart used as a means of transporting the organ, rolls and accessories and to create a more noticeable street presence for the infant.

Arranging Music for Mechanical Organs

Music Arranging and the Computer, Tom Meijer; Issue #6
Some of the advantages of using MIDI and a computer instead of paper and pencil:
(1) ... quicker and easier - especially concerning repetitions and tempo adjustments...
(2) ... listen to what he has arranged while working ...
(3) ... easily transpose a finished arrangement from one scale to another...
(4) ... print arrangement on a paper master, or cut the book with a computerized punch ... Or supply the customer with the arrangement as MIDI ...

20-Note Music Arranger Roundup, Gordie Davidson; Issue #38
Describes sources for 110 mm wide rolls for 20 note crank organs, including Orgelbau Raffin, Melvyn Wright, Orgelbau Steuber, Jaeger & Brommer, Alan Pell, Hiddo van Os, Christian Wittmann, Harald Mueller, Le Turlutain, Adrian Oswalt, Thomas Sterk, and Ingmar Krause. Also identifies some sources no longer in business.

In the footsteps of his master Bacigalupo . . . or the discovery of Martin Zumbach, Arranger of Organ Barrels and Manufacturer of Barrel Organs, Paul Fricker; Issue #38
Describes the contemporary Swiss builder Martin Zumbach and his 36 key - 72 pipe "Violinopan" barrel organs.

Musical Statistics on the 20er Organ Scale, Harald M. Müller; Issue #25
Describes the various chords, etc. which can be put in arrangements for music using the Carl Frei 20-er scale

Arranging Music for the Gem Roller Organ, Charles Moore; Issue #13
Includes scale and timing information and a list new tunes.

Scanning Sheet Music to Produce MIDI Files, Wally Venable; Issue #50
It is possible to produce MIDI files from sheet music using a personal computer and a scanner. The author uses PhotoScore Lite to produce initial files then used to arrange music for MIDI or roll playing organs. SmartScore MIDI Edition and SharpEye Music Reader appears to do similar work. The article illustrates the author's processes.

Using MIDIBoek as an Analytic Tool in Arranging, Wally Venable; Issue #49
MIDIBoek is a free program for Windows computers which was developed for use in printing templates for mechanical organ rolls and books. It is also a powerful tool for analyzing musical arrangements while creating files for both roll and MIDI organs. The article illustrates the author's processes.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) Control of Mechanical Organs

Music Arranging and the Computer, Tom Meijer; Issue #6
Some of the advantages of using MIDI and a computer instead of paper and pencil:
(1) ... quicker and easier - especially concerning repetitions and tempo adjustments...
(2) ... listen to what he has arranged while working ...
(3) ... easily transpose a finished arrangement from one scale to another...
(4) ... print arrangement on a paper master, or cut the book with a computerized punch ... Or supply the customer with the arrangement as MIDI ...

Scanning Sheet Music to Produce MIDI Files, Wally Venable; Issue #50
It is possible to produce MIDI files from sheet music using a personal computer and a scanner. The author uses PhotoScore Lite to produce initial files then used to arrange music for MIDI or roll playing organs. SmartScore MIDI Edition and SharpEye Music Reader appears to do similar work. The article illustrates the author's processes.

Using MIDIBoek as an Analytic Tool in Arranging, Wally Venable; Issue #49
MIDIBoek is a free program for Windows computers which was developed for use in printing templates for mechanical organ rolls and books. It is also a powerful tool for analyzing musical arrangements while creating files for both roll and MIDI organs. The article illustrates the author's processes.

Organ Facades & Figures

Figurines on an Organ, Hendrik H Strengers; Issue #2
Discusses carved wooden automated figures on street and fairground organs.

A Pioneer Hooghuys and a ‘Major League’ Mortier, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #7
Describes history of a Hooghuys facade on 101-key Mortier 971 organ once featured in Underground Atlanta

Painting Organ Facades, Jetse de Boer; Issue #41
de Boer describes his work. He has been painting Dutch street organ fronts since 1960.

Replicating the Wurlitzer 165 Façade, Glenn Thomas, Robert Yorburg, Marguerite Chadwick-Juner & Pamela Hessey; Issue #44
Glenn Thomas needed a façade for his Wurlitzer style 166 band organ restoration. After choosing the 165 façade as a model, Robert Yorburg was chosen as carver and Marguerite Chadwick-Juner as painter, and Pamela Hessey as finisher.

Toys, Cards, and Collectibles

Easter Bunnies & Organ Grinders, Angelo Rulli; Issue #3
Easter bunnies and chicks have often been the subject of cards showing them as “hurdy-gurdy” or crank organ musicians, and as part of music box toys.

A Mickey Mouse Organ Grinder, Ron Bopp; Issue #21
A Mickey Mouse Organ Grinder tin toy sold for $24,200. Mickey actually has a street piano, not a pipe organ.

Lost - A Good Durable Monkey - cartoon; Issue #11

Hurdy Gurdy vs Crank Organ, Angelo Rulli; Issue #27
A hurdy gurdy is actually a string instrument played with a crank, but the term is popularly used to describe crank organs. The article describes and illustrates figureines showing musicians with both types of instrument.

The World’s Smallest Mechanical Organ, Ron Bopp; Issue #36
Discusses several small organs with real pipes, including the toy Tuneyville Choo Choo, Pipewagon, and Player Piano

Organ Rally Enameled Pins, Ron Bopp; Issue #22
Primarily covers pins produced for the Mid-America Chapter organ rallies of the MBSI (Musical Box Society International.)

Organ Illustrations used in Vintage Postcard Advertising, Ron Bopp; Issue #43
Includes American and European crank/hand organs and street pianos.


Reviews of Books and Recordings

"Karl King March Festival" - CD review, Fred Dahlinger; #11

"Drehorgelmusik" - Daniel  Widmer  playing  33-key  Bruns Trumpetenorgel - CD review, Tom Griffith; #12

"De Grote Gavioli  Vol. 1" - CD review, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #13

Waldkirch Street and Fairground Organs by Herbert Jütteman - book review, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #14

"Plaza Live" - CD review, Tom Griffith; Issue #14

"The Edgerton 89-Key Gavioli Fairground Organ" - CD review, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #14

The Organ Grinder's Monkey by Richard Fliegel - book review, Ron Bopp; Issue #15

"The English Mechanical Organ Music Heard in London From the 17th - 19th Centuries" - CD review, Tom Griffith; Issue #17

"Big Bertha Volumes 1 to 4 - Hidden Treasures and Overtures"  - LP reviews, Fred Dahlinger; Issue #18

"40 Jahr Orbelbau Raffin" review of CD celebrating Josef Raffin's 40th Anniversary as organ builder, Tom Griffith; Issue #20

"Historical Concourse" - CD review, Ron Bopp; Issue #22
To help celebrate their 50th anniversary, the Circle of Mechanical Organ Friends (KDV) of the Netherlands issued 2 CDs derived from 78 rpm discs.

"From Rags to Riches" & "Marvelous Marches" - CD review - Tom Griffith; Issue #25
Terry Bender produced 2 CDs. "From Rags to Riches" features his Raffin 31/84 and "Marvelous Marches" his replica ST-58 Tangley Calliaphone.

"Het Kunkels Orgel" - CD review - Fred Dahlinger; Issue #25
The Kunkels Organ is a 112-key organ built by Carl Frei, Sr. using a Marenghi as the basis, and in the Kunkels Organ Foundation collection.

"Anderton & Rowland’s Grand Organ Plays The World’s Best Music" - CD review - Fred Dahlinger; Issue #32
The Grand Organ is the 92-key Marenghi “Ideal Orchestre” instrument #2402 that was built in 1911 for George DeVey, leader of the firm of Anderton & Rowland.


COAA - The Carousel Organ Association of America


COAA’s 2009 Mid-winter Meeting, Liz Barnhart; Issue #39
Describes activities at the first COAA Mid-Winter Meeting, held in Kissimmee, Florida.

COAA Strategic Directives, COAA Advisors; Issue #17

“Happy 10th Birthday, COAA!” - The First COAA Organ Rally Trolleyville (Olmstead Falls, Ohio), Ron Bopp; Issue #37
Looks back at the start of the Carousel Organ Association of America.

COAA Bylaws, Bylaw’s Committee - You can find “Bylaws” through the tabs on the home page of the COAA website, or http://www.coaa.us/resources/Print-Files/Readings/COAA-By-Laws.pdf

COAA Board Minutes - You can find recent minutes through the tabs on the home page of the COAA website, or http://www.coaa.us/page12/index.html

Meet Your Member - Brief Introductions to COAA Members

Roberta & Cliff Gray - Issue #1
Harvey & Marion Roehl - Issue #2
Captain John Leonard - Issue #3
Marge & Bill Waters - Issue #4
Mary & Cliff Pollock - Issue #5
Len & Billie Railsback - Issue #6
Don & Norma Redd - Issue #7
Larry Kern - Issue #8
Ruth & Kim Pontius - Issue #9
Ken Smith - Issue #10
Betty & LeRoy Schumacher - Issue #11
Anita & Fred Dahlinger - Issue #12
Carol & Ed Ditto - Issue #13
Ann and Dan Wilke - Issue #14
Frank & Hope Rider - Issue #15
Lynn Zillmer - Issue #16
Bob, Cathy, Anne & Dave Cantine - Issue #17
Jill and Pete Hallock - Issue #18
Carl & Kathy Cavitt - Issue #19
Angelo Rulli - Issue #20
Howard Davis - Issue #21
Herb & JoAnn Brabandt - Issue #22
Kevin & Linda Sheehan - Issue #23
Jerry & Helen Jordon - Issue #24
Martin & Mary Jane Anderson - Issue #25
Bob & Nancy Mathewson - Issue #26
Björn Isebaert - Issue #27
Jan & Howard Kast - Issue #28
David & Darlene Wasson - Issue #29
Matthew Caulfield - Issue #30
Ted Guillaum - Issue #31
Mike & Liz Barnhart - Issue #32
Neil & Debbie Smith - Issue #33
Terry & Peggy Warner - Issue #34
Bill Gresham - Issue #35
Tim Wagner - Issue #36
John Prtljaga & Margie Hagan - Issue #37
Mike & Sandy Schoeppner - Issue #38
Paul Senger - Issue #39
Ron & Glynn Keisler - Issue #40
Dave Mahr - Issue #41
Paul & Patty Dyer - Issue #42
Wally & Norma Venable - Issue #43
Jim & Donna Welty - Issue #44
Sharon & Carl Curtis - Issue #45
Henk & Irene Noordemeer - Issue #46
Wilbur & Sandra Herr - Issue #47
Burl & Shirley Updyke - Issue #48
Bernice & Eddie Evarts - Issue #49
John & Mary Lou Van Dorn - Issue #50