The DeBence Antique Music World Museum host a "small crank organ rally"
on 13 and 14 August, 2010.  That's a Friday and Saturday.  They have
not defined "small," but the restriction dates from the time several
years ago when a local judge issued a "cease and desist" order to
organs playing under his window at a COAA rally.  (You can imagine the
challenge of hearing a divorce fairly while a band organ is playing
"I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" or "Please Release Me"!)

The DeBence Museum is on Liberty Street in historic downtown Franklin,
Pennsylvania, just 16 miles north of Interstate 80 on Route 8.  Organs
will play from about 10:00 a.m. on Friday, and are invited to make an
early start for the Saturday Farmers' Market.

Invitations were mailed to a list maintained by the museum.  Anyone
is invited to participate, but you should contact the museum if you
want to be included in the supper party and extended museum tour in
the evening. You can telephone the museum at 1-814-432-8350 or e-mail
debence@debencemusicworld.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply].

The DeBence Museum houses a collection of more than 100 antique
mechanical musical instruments dating from the mid 1800s to the
1940s.  This collection was begun by local farmers Jake and Elizabeth
DeBence in the 1940s and it continued to grow through the years.  When
the DeBences retired in 1955 they exhibited the collection in a barn
which they opened to the public for viewing.  After Jake's death,
Elizabeth offered the collection for sale.  It was her fervent wish
that the collection remain intact and in the area.

Samples of tunes on three of the instruments are on YouTube:

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKace6OqicA 
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2UIaABc5gg 
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT9aGKQ-bh0 

The DeBence Museum web site is  http://www.debencemusicworld.com/ 

Wallace Venable

 [ Sing 'em this 1925 hit song: "I Had Someone Else Before I Had You
 [ (And I'll Have Someone After You've Gone)!"  -- Robbie  ;-)