In MMD 00.01.29 Hans van Oost wrote a good update on Adam Ramet's
pictures from the Benelux (MMD 00.01.24).  However, I want to make one
correction on his comment on organ #4, de Veronica.

This organ was not built by Dick Gillet of Rotterdam in 1952.  In the
late 1950's the Belgian dance organ builder Arthur Bursens produced
some smaller organs, which he kept in stock for future customers.  In
1959 such an instrument was sold, without front, to Mr. A. Neleman from
Breda.  With help of Jan Gillet of Rotterdam he built a modern style
front for it.  Also they converted the instrument for use on the
streets.

Jan Gillet (1915-1969) started in the 1930's a small organ business
in Rotterdam.  He repaired and rented out street organs.  After the war
he converted several dismissed Belgian dance organs into street organs.
As he loved the sound of the Belgian type of organs, he tried to
modernize the sound of the Dutch 'pierement' in a similar way.  He
always fitted his organs out with extended percussion.  In 1954 he had
much success with two small new built street organs, on the 52-key
Limonaire scale, which were equipped with three accordions.

His son Dick Gillet (born in 1936) was never active as an organ
builder.  Already in 1950 he arranged his first organ book and he
became a professional music marker in 1960.  From the 1970's he is the
regular arranger for the firm Decap in Antwerp.  He has made thousands
of music books with popular tunes for the dance and (electronic) cafe
organs of this firm.

Indeed the original name of the organ on picture #4 was "Kleine Beer",
after the constellation 'Ursus Minor' or the Lesser Bear.  In 1964
the organ was renamed 'Veronica', after a famous pirate radio station
in Holland.  This was an attempt to make the records of the organ more
popular.

The organ is not playing the standard 52-key Limonaire type book music,
but it has a unique 52-key scale, applied just once.  Originally the
organ only had a violin register.  On the advice of the famous Dutch
music marker Gerard Razenberg, a wooden flute was added.  This, in
combination with the violin and tremolo, turned out to be an appropri-
ate register to perform the popular music of the late fifties and
sixties.  As Hans van Oost wrote, "You should hear it playing rock-and-
roll !"  The 'Veronica' is now for more than 30 years owned by Piet van
der Erf in Duiven (near Arnhem) and can be heard on the streets almost
daily.

Musical regards from Holland,

Tom Meijer

 [ Aw, I liked the name "Small Beer" -- let's have another!  ;)
 [ -- Robbie