Home :: Forrest's Gavioli :: Emerson's Gavioli ::Preston Court Collection :: Other Organs
Welcome
This site is devoted entirely to pictures and information about Mechanical Organs.

Mechanical organs first came on the scene way back in the 16th century, but the ones we are familiar with today started appearing during the 19th Century when Gavioli, an Italian living in Paris started building organs that operate by punched cardboard books of music. The most common system uses a key frame with metal keys that pop up through the punched holes and operate the pneumatic action that opens the valves to allow air from the bellows into the pipes. Another system uses a key frame with holes, similar to a paper roll operated piano, but in this case the air is sucked through the holes in the punched card to activate the pneumatic action. The oldest system uses pinned barrels (hence the name barrel organ) which is often incorrectly applied to the punched card organs too. The barrel organs had limitations because the music had to be arranged to fit on one revolution of the barrel, therefore the organ builders went over to the punched card system. There are some organs which use the paper roll system similar to that used on player pianos (pianolas). These were mainly made by Arthur Bursens, an organ builder of Antwerp. He incorporated this system in most of his Arburro series of dance organs. All these types of organs have, over the years become known by a variety of names, in America they often refer to them as Band Organs, but to be accurate, it is best to divide them into their various types.  Dance Organs, were built to play in continental dance halls, which were either static or mobile. Fairground Organs, were built to sit at the centre, or beside a fairground ride or show, to attract customers and many still do that today. Street Organs, were built to be pushed around the old streets of Holland to collect money for the owners, but nowadays they mainly collect for charity.

Click on the banner below if you want to discuss mechanical organs with people who own them, or like me, just like listening to them.
Events with Mechanical Organs in the South and South East of England
 
Date

Event

Location

Contact
-
-
-
-
2009 TBA
Medway Festival of Steam
Chatham Historic Dockyard
01634 823807
3rd - 5th May 2008
Rochester Sweeps Festival
Rochester City Centre, Kent
01634 843666
-
-
-
30th May - 1st June 2008
Rochester Dickens Festival
Rochester City Centre, Kent
01634 843666
2008 TBA
Hadlow Down Steam Rally
Main Road, Hadlow Down, East Sussex
-
-
-
-
28th - 29th June 2008
Preston Steam Fair
Preston, Near Canterbury, Kent
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
27th - 31st August 2008
The Great Dorset Steam Fair
Tarrant Hinton, Nr Blandford Forum
2008 TBA
 Preston Ploughing Trials
Preston, Near Canterbury, Kent
-
- - 
-
-
- -
-
2008 TBA
Dickensian Christmas Festival
Rochester City Centre, Kent
01634 843666
2008 TBA
Preston New Year Open Days
Preston, Near Canterbury, Kent
The above dates were obtained from the internet. Please check by phoning contact number
If you have any comments or contributions to the event list please EMAIL ME
Pictures on this site are available for Personal Use only