Press release. cutlines and links for photos
Carousel Organs to Play at Wurlitzer Factory - 10-11 July 2010
40 Organs Expected
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4 July 2010
For local information contact Mike Walter, 716-656-9583
For other additional information contact
wallace.venable@mail.wvu.edu
or visit http://www.COAA.us
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The Carousel Organ Association of America (COAA) will hold a band organ
rally at the former Wurlitzer Company Grounds on Saturday and Sunday.
Over forty organs, ranging from shoulder carried crank organs to ones
which fill a large trailer will be present. Some are antiques, others
were completed this year.
Carousel organ building at the Wurlitzer site began in 1893 as the
deKleist North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. The Company was
purchased by tyhe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in 1909, and automated
organ construction continued there until 1939. The Wurlitzer factory
was a huge enterprise, with a main building about half a mile long, and
set on forty acres of gardens. Today the factory site is an industrial
park.
North Tonawanda was also home to the North Tonawanda Musical Instrument
Works from 1906 to 1918, the Artizan Factories, Inc. from 1922 to 1929,
and the Niagra Instrument Manufacturing Company from 1905 to 1914.
Appropriate to the rally theme, "The Great Wurlitzer Band Organ
Recall," the organ list includes eight Wurlitzers, two Wurlitzer
reproductions, and one North Tonawanda Military Band Organ. Also theme
related are five modern Stinson fairground organs. Don Stinson has
based his products on Wurlitzer designs and scales, although he has
continued their evolution. All recent Stinsons use MIDI control, with
some also including roll-playing capability.
A COAA rally is also a sort of organ grinders' convention. Many COAA
members own small hand cranked organs, and enjoy sharing them with the
public. Organs from American, British, and German designs will by
shown. Due to regulations regarding the use of live animals, the only
monkeys present will be stuffed toys.
The Wurlitzer Factory is located at 908 Niagara Falls Blvd., North
Tonawanda. Organ playing will take place outdoors on the Wurlitzer
Company Grounds. The event is free and open to the public. Times for
seeing and hearing the organs are Saturday (July 10th) from 10 am to 5
pm and Sunday (July 11) from 11 am to 6 pm., weather permitting.
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Link to 2.1 Meg .jpg file
John Ashworth, of St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada explains how this
organ works. Many organ owners are happy to let the public see the
insides of the instruments, and to explain how they work. Known as
"Captain John Leonard's Organ," this Style 173 Military Band Organ
built by the North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works can be heard in
the soundtrack of the movie "The Natural" which starred Robert Redford.
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Link to 4.0 Meg .jpg file
"King William" is a large modern Stinson band organ based on the
Wurlitzer 165 design. The organ has hundreds of pipes and weighs about
3000 pounds.
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Link to 2.9
Meg .JPG file
COAA "organ grinders" often let visitors try their hand at turning the
crank. Here Dave Mahr, of Decatur, IL, helps Allison Keisler
(Lexington, SC) master a 31 note Raffin Street Organ as Jeremy Gobbel
(Lexington, SC) looks on.
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