Reading about the Radio City Music hall organ brought back many memories
of The Eastman Theater Organ In Rochester, New York (built in 1922.)  My
mother and her sisters were there on opening night!  While I realize this
musical instrument was not a roll operated instrument, I thought many
readers would enjoy hearing about the organ.

My first job was organ technician at the Eastman School of music in
Rochester New York.  The school at time had about 17 pipe organs.  The
most impressive (to me)  was the mammoth five manual Austin Organ in the
theater of the Eastman School.  When I started work there in the late
1950's the organ was in operating condition.  Well most of it.  The
percussion section had been disconnected.

The console was concealed in the orchestra pit and would rise on an
elevator for use.  The organ chambers were packed with boxes of original
spare parts for quick repairs.  Unfortunately the organ chambers were
located in the back of the stage.  This original  design was used to
project organ music through the screen were early silent films were
shown.  The idea was good, but the design was poor.   Music from the
organ was muffled even when full organ was used, the sound was weak. When
the organ was originally installed,  Mr. Eastman was so concerned about
the weak volume of the organ, he even considered electric amplification
to boost it's sound,  but to no avail.

Later the Rochester Philharmonic orchestra built a shell within the stage
to improve the acoustics of the orchestra in the already dead sounding
auditorium.  This blocked the organ chambers subduing even further the
volume of the already weak sounding Austin organ.

During renovations of the Eastman theater in the early 1970's, no one
seemed to know what to do with the organ.  The pseudo-elite of the posh
classical organ department looked down their noses at the Austin as a
terrible monstrosity.  No one seemed to know what to do with the organ
until one day at 2 PM it was decided that the organ was to be  discarded
as junk!  In came men with axes and pry bars, and in a short time the
organ was tossed out in the alley as trash, many students taking pipes as
a souvenir.  This was done in the name of progress to make room for new
air conditioning units.

Most of the small practice organs on the fourth floor at that time were
Mollers, with a large AEolian Skinner in Kilbourn Hall that was used for
concert work, and I believe a medium sized AEoian Skinner in Mr.
Craighead's teaching room.  One organ I recall was used for teaching
theater organ.  It was a small Marr and Coulton, but it had also been
removed in the name of progress during the early 1940's.

I have not returned to the Eastman in many years, but understand that
many of the organs have been replaced with modern Schlicker, Holtcamp,
and other so called refinements.

The beautiful Eastman Auditorium is now minus a pipe organ, When one is
required for musical events, a well-modulated fuse box (Electronic organ)
is brought in to imitate the missing Austin.

Bruce Clark