Fairground organ

J.Verbeeck "Victory" Fairground organ

A fairground organ is a pipe organ designed for use in a commercial public fairground setting to provide loud music to accompany fairground rides and attractions, mostly used on merry-go-rounds. Unlike organs intended for indoor use, they are designed to produce a large volume of sound to be heard over and above the noise of crowds of people and fairground machinery.

History

As fairgrounds became more mechanised at the end of the nineteenth century so did their musical needs grow. The period of greatest activity of fairground organ manufacture and development is from the later 1880s through to the introduction of effective electrical sound amplification in the mid-1920s. The organ chassis was typically provided with an ornate and florid decorative case façade designed to be a further fairground attraction in its own right as with all fairground equipment.

The ornate case façades frequently had different instruments such as a Glockenspiel or Drums that provide visual entertainment as they played. There were often ornate human figures such as a conductor whose arm moved in time to the music or women whose arms would strike bells. The mechanics to accomplish this motion were quite intricate and provided a pleasant visual experience in addition to the music.

The organs were constructed so as to be able to produce the popular music of the period. Organs were designed to mimic the musical capabilities of a typical human band. For this reason they are known as band organs in the US.

The motive force for a fairground organ is typically wind under pressure generated from mechanically powered sets of bellows mounted in the base of the instrument. The instruments, designed to be operated without a human performer, are keyboard-less apart from a few one-off examples. The organ is played mechanically by either a rotating barrel with the music pinned thereon like a music box, a strip of card perforated with the musical data and registration controls called book music or interchangeable rolls of paper similarly programmed called music rolls. However, Victory, pictured above, while a traditional mechanism plays traditional books, it also contains a Yamaha MIDI interface and is most often played electronically - with a blank card in place of the traditional book. Owner, Willem Kelders, uses this interface to link organs (Rhapsody and Locomotion - driven by Victory) together so they all play the same music perfectly synchronised.

Fairground organs were used in many settings such as general fairground rides, static side shows such as bioscope shows and various locations in amusements parks such as ice rinks and the like.

Manufacturers of fairground organs also typically made instruments for indoor usage in a dance hall called a dance organ and travelling street use called a street organ

Like all mechanical instruments fairground organs come in a vast array of sizes and technical specifications made by a myriad of manufacturers all of which had their own trademark characteristics. As with all vintage equipment there is a strong preservation movement associated with these instruments and today new instruments and music are still being made.

Ruth Fairground organ

Operation

Early organs were designed to be compact and operated by an unskilled person or mechanically. These were hence played via an integral pinned barrel requiring no human input apart from to change the number of the tune being played. These had a fixed repertoire and, if it was desired to change the tunes, a complete new pinned barrel was required. To offer a more flexible choice of repertoire a system of robust interchangeable perforated cardboard book music was adopted first by Parisian manufacturers Gavioli. Their system became widely regarded as commercially advantageous and other manufacturers followed suit. Book music offered a cheaper, more readily updated alternative to barrel music. Also used by many manufacturers including Gavioli was operation via paper music roll. These rolls were more compact and cheaper to manufacture than book music. Technically, they were more susceptible to poor handling but all systems experienced their own types of characteristic wear and tear during repeated playing. Both "book" and "roll" systems were manufactured with different operating actions which read the music either (a) via air pressure, (b) under suction, or (c) mechanically. To extend longevity, mechanically read cardboard book music was typically strengthened with an application of shellac. Music rolls were typically fortified via the use of robust moisture-resisting paper stocks.

All the functions of the organ are (apart from the smallest instruments) operated automatically from the music media. Larger instruments contain automatic organ stop register control and additional control tracks for operating percussion instruments, lighting effect and automaton figures.

Builders

NOTE: non-exhaustive list of builders, past & present

**List of Mechanical Organ Builders**
Name	Country	Location	Fairground	Dance	Street	Notes
Artizan Factories, Inc	United States	North Tonawanda, NY	X
B.A.B. Organ Company	United States	Brooklyn, NY	X			Converted European organs to the B.A.B. roll system
Alfred Bruder	Germany	Waldkirch	X
Gebrüder Bruder	Germany	Waldkirch	X
Ignaz Bruder Söhne	Germany	Waldkirch	X
Wilhelm Bruder Söhne	Germany	Waldkirch	X
Chiappa & Sons	England	London	X
Cocchi, Bacigalupo & Graffigna	Germany	Berlin	X
Eugene de Kleist	United States	North Tonawanda, NY	X			Expatriate German who trained at Limonaire Frères in Waldkirch. While running his own business in London, was persuaded by American fairground ride maker Allan Herschell to start production in North Tonawanda, New York. Founding the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1892, he created the American Band organ sound. Bought out of the business in 1909 by then business partner Ruldolph Wurlitzer, after he was voted in as mayor of North Tonawanda
Dean Organ Builders	England	Whitchurch, Bristol	X		X	John Dean established himself as wheelwright and cabinet maker circa 1818 in Bridport, but it was his grandson, Thomas Walter Dean who moved the family and their business to Bedminster in Bristol, following his marriage in 1899 to the daughter of a local dealer, William Wyatt. Walter Deans son Edwin, moved his business to Whitchurch in 1939 and so established the present site where the retail shop and workshop are today. Under the direction of Edwin Deans son, Michael, the family turned its attention to the building of new traditional fairground and street organs. It was at this time that the company became known as Dean Organ Builders. The company introduced the 20 keyless book playing organ. The business continues in the hands of Richard and Sue Dean.
Fr. Decap	Belgium	Herentals		X
Decap, Gebroeders (Decap Brothers)	Belgium	Antwerp		X		Found in 1902 by Aloïs Decap, the name was changed when taken over by the four sons: Livien, Frans, Léon, Camille. Maker of dance organs (early years), mechanical pianos (limited production, early years), street and fairground organs (1920s-1930s). Leading maker of dance organs, 1930s-present. Business now runs by Camille's daughter Martha, her husband Louis Mostmans and son Roger under the name Decap Brothers of Antwerp.
Pierre Eich	Belgium	Ghent	X
Marc Fournier	France	Seyssuel	X
Frati & Co.	Germany	Berlin	X
Carl Frei	Germany Netherlands	Waldkirch Breda	X			Started in Waldkirch, moved to Breda via Belgium. Returned to Waldkirch post World War Two
Gaudin Freres & Cie.	France	Paris	X	X		Successors to Marenghi
Foucher-Gasparini	France	Paris	X
Gavioli & Cie.	France	Paris	X			At one point, the largest organ builder in the world. Ceased trading in 1910, with patents, designs and brand sold to rival Limonaire Frères
Theo Heesbeen	Netherlands	Tilburg		X
Louis Hooghuys	Belgium	Geraardsbergen	X
Jäger und Brommer	Germany	Waldkirch	X		X
Johnson Organ Company	United States	Fargo, ND	X
La Salvia	Argentina	Buenos Aires	X			Since 1870
Le Ludion	France	Toulouse	X
Lemoine-Dussaux	France	Paris	X
Limonaire Frères	France	Paris	X			Founded in Paris in the 1830s by a group of brothers, the company went through various iterations before becoming the second largest producer of organs behind Gavioli. At their height from 1900 to 1914, they had factories in both Paris and Waldkirch, Germany. Bought the patents and what remained of rival Gavioli from administrators in 1910. German factory was confiscated during World War 1, and after return in 1921 sold to Alfred Bruder in 1924. Company ceased trading in 1936.
Charles Marenghi & Cie	France	Paris	X
Usines Theofiel Mortier	Belgium	Antwerp		X
Nederlands Boekorgel Centrum	Netherlands	Tilburg	X	X	X
Niagara Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.	United States	North Tonawanda, NY	X
Emmanuel Odin	France	St. Rambert		X
John Page	England	Milton Keynes	X			Formerly Page & Howard
G. Perlee Draaiorgels	Netherlands	Amsterdam		X
Elbert Pluer	Netherlands	Bussum		X		son of Anton Pluer
Pooker Organ Works	United States	Hawthorne, CA	X
Gebrüder Richter	Germany	Düsseldorf	X
Andreas Ruth & Sohn	Germany	Waldkirch	X
Stinson Organ Company	United States	Bellefontaine, OH	X
Sturm Olivier	France	Saint-Jean-du-Pin			X
van Steenput Frères	Belgium	Puurs	X		X	Built and converted fairground and street organs circa 1890-1930
Verbeeck	Belgium England	Antwerp London	X	X	X	Four generations of family members have built and repaired portable hand-cranked organs, street organs (including the world-famous Dutch street organ "The Arab"), fairground organs, and dance organs since 1884. Business names have included: Jan Verbeeck (1884–1914, Antwerp, Belgium) J. Verbeeck & Sons (Birmingham, then London, England, 1914–1949) Pierre Verbeeck (Antwerp, Belgium, 1918–1938) Verbekson (Deurne, Belgium, 1944–1947) Verbeeck Zoon (St. Job-in-'t-Goor, Belgium, 1965–1979) J. Verbeeck: since 1979, Johnny Verbeeck and his wife Marijke have operated the business in St. Job-in-'t-Goor
Heinrich Voigt Orgelbau	Germany	Höchst, Frankfurt am Main	X
Gebrüder Wellershaus	Germany	Mülheim	X
Fritz Wrede	Germany	Hanover	X	X	X
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company	United States	North Tonawanda, NY	X	X	X	After collaborating with Eugene de Kleist on the Wurlitzer Tonophone, bought into the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory business from 1897, and then bought De Kleist out completely in 1908. Moved all production of organs to the site, and began heavily investing. Organ production ceased in 1942, with the factory turned over to producing proximity fuzes. Post war, the factory produced various Wurlitzer lines, including radios and jukeboxes. The factory closed in 1973.

References

Bopp, Ron: The American Carousel Organ: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Grove, OK: Ron Bopp, 1998.
Bowers, Q. David: The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments. Vestal, NY: Vestal Press, 1972.
Jüttemann, Herbert: Waldkircher Dreh- und Jahrmarkt-Orgeln. Waldkirch: Waldkircher Verlag, 1993.
Jüttemann, Herbert: Waldkirch Street and Fairground Organs. Rufforth, York: A.C. Pilmer, 2002. (Revised translation of above)
Reblitz, Arthur A.: The Golden Age of Automatic Musical Instruments. Woodsville, NH: Mechanical Music Press, 2001.
Reblitz, Arthur A. and Bowers, Q. David: Treasures of Mechanical Music. Vestal, NY: Vestal Press, 1981.
Cockayne, Eric V. The Fair Organ — How It Works. UK, published by The Fair Organ Preservation Society

External links

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Mechanical musical instruments

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