The Wanamaker organ

[walyfd]

With Macy's faltering, the fate of one of the greatest pipe organs is unknown... 2 blows to Philadelphia--the SS UNITED STATES slated to be scuttled and now this...

https://wanamakerorgan.com/

[William]

Wow, I had no idea it was in trouble and that Macy's was pulling the plug. When is Macy's last day? I have always wanted to visit the store and hear the organ but never made as it was on a bucket list along with a bunch of other organs including Radio City's Wurlitzer. Thanks for sharing, Walter.

Bill

[Motorola minion]

My mom has great memories of going on the train to visit relative O/S Philadelphia. The highlight of that visit was going to J Wanamakers a few days before Christmas. The organ was several stories high and a real pipe organ. I never saw it , too young.

Anyone who is from the area also mentions Larry Ferrari, who was an organist for WPVI-TV's various local productions.
I have this record, which will make the Philco 1916 hit notes that you can feel!
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/r ... a7bda2b866


Organ music was a favorite of my Grandfather, who actually bought an RCA color set in 1957 just to watch Larry perform in color!

[William]

As most of you know, I am an organ nut too mostly theater organ. I too have that same album, Dave, and that organ still exists in the Senate Theater in the Detroit suburbs. The organ was original installed in the Fisher Theater, and yes that is the Fisher of Fisher Body fame. The Fisher brothers built a theater and if you take a good look the the console on the album cover you see what the whole theater was decorated like. The Fisher theater still stands but years ago it was redone in MCM style. At that time the organ came out and through a few first stops it ended up at the Senate Theater and is owned they Detroit Theater Organ Society which hold monthly concert that are open to the public. Here is their website.

https://www.google.com/search?q=detroit ... 84PwI_KuAI

Bill

[TC Chris]

Bill probably knows this, but for you others, just down the road from me is the Music House Museum, devoted to music instruments and reproducers. They have the 1924 Wurlitzer from Detroit's Cinderella Theater. They also have a 1922 Mortier band organ from Belgium, and more:


“Columbia” Bruder Band Organ (Germany)
Estey Pipe Organ with Wagnerin Roll Player (USA)
Weber Duo Art Reproducing Grand Piano (USA)
Seeburg KT Nickelodeon (USA)
Link Continuous Roll Feed Orchestrion (USA)
Paul Losche Café Orchestrion (Germany)
Regina Disc Music Box (USA)
Milton Player Piano (USA)
Cremona Nickelodeon (USA)

Read about it here:

https://musichouse.org/

I donated a Lincoln record-flipping record changer to them. It used a vacuum system to grasp the records and move the parts. The rubber parts, now unobtainium, had hardened so it wasn't going to be flipping records any more but it was a mechanical marvel. You can see one in action here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFcrEta9HKk

Chris Campbell

[William]

Thanks for sharing, Chris, and it is definitely worth going to.

Bill