Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > January 2001 > 2001.01.03 > 01Prev  Next


Golden Gate Park Carousel Organ, San Francisco
By Bruce Pier

While the conversion of a book organ to play rolls would have been
justified twenty-five or thirty years ago, in this day and age I just
don't see it.  An off-the-shelf MIDI conversion (a Pell Harmonist,
for example) would have the done the same thing without drastically
altering the organ.

One of the reasons, I believe, you don't see many Gebruder Bruder
Model 107s today is that they did not lend themselves to conversion.
The scale doesn't come close to any domestic band organ scale.

Before WW1 they were very popular with Wm. H. Dentzel and W. F. Mangels
for use on their carousels.  It is my belief that, after the introduction
of the Wurlitzer Style 153, most of these Gebruder Bruder organs were
traded in.  This was encouraged not only by Wurlitzer, but by the
carousel builders themselves, who often acted as agents for Wurlitzer.

Bruce R. Pier


(Message sent Thu 4 Jan 2001, 02:04:07 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Carousel, Francisco, Gate, Golden, Organ, Park, San

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page