While this thread on well travelled mechanical music items is still
active, mention should be made of the chamber barrel organ which has
made three return journeys from England to Canada, and one from
England to Norway and back.
When Sir William Parry undertook his four expeditions to the Arctic,
in the period 1819-1827, one of the items he took on ship each time was
a Longman chamber barrel organ. During this time, the organ was used
for a number of purposes, and not just the more traditional uses such
as to accompany the singing of hymns. During the winter months when
the weather was too bad for the crew to leave the ship for exercise,
they had to run around the deck keeping step to a tune played on the
organ.
I wonder how the tuning stood up in an arctic climate?
Regards,
Douglas Bush
UK
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