I had a rather lengthy telephone conversation with band organ historian
Tim Trager on the night of May 22, 2000, and we were talking about
surviving example of the 65- and 69-key Gebruder Bruder "Elite Orchestra
Apollo" organs.

It turns out that there are no known surviving examples of these
Bruder organs within Europe, and there is only one surviving example
known outside of the U.S. which is located on a carousel in Australia.
Unfortunately that organ is missing its facade.

C. W. Parker imported at least several of the 65- and/or 69-key
Gebruder Bruder "Elite Orchestra Apollo" organs for use on four-row
carousels, and it is quite possible that at least one of these organs
still exists but was converted to play paper rolls rather than books.

The two others that I know about are Jerry Doring's 65-key Gebruder
Bruder "Elite Orchestra Apollo" organ (also known as the "Silver Bell"
Bruder that plays 66 key B.A.B. rolls on one side and Wurlitzer 165
rolls on the other side), and the 65-key Gebruder Bruder "Elite
Orchestra Apollo" organ on the B&B carousel at Coney Island that plays
66-key B.A.B. rolls on both spools.

It seems to me that the organ on the B&B carousel is in the best
condition of any of the surviving 65- and 69-key Gebruder Bruder "Elite
Orchestra Apollo" organs, since it appears that the pipework was never
changed and that the case and the facade are original.  The only
changes that were made to the organ was the conversion from book music
to paper rolls, installation of a blower for the wind supply and
possibly a different windchest; otherwise the organ appears to have
been largely unchanged from the day it left the factory.

The 69 key "Elite Orchestra Apollo" on the carousel somewhere in
Australia is the only existing organ of its kind that still plays book
music, to the best of my knowledge.  There were 65- and 69-key "Elite
Orchestra Apollo" organs that were placed on so called "car rides" in
Hungary, but none of these organs or the car rides exist anymore.

If anyone knows of any more surviving 65- and 69-key Gebruder Bruder
"Elite Orchestra Apollo" organs that weren't sold by Wurlitzer as their
Style 165 organ, please let me know.

Jeff Alterman
156 Villard Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 10706-1217
Phone & FAX (914) 478-3454
E-mail <jeffalterman@hotmail.com>