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There are in London around a dozen firms specialising in the manufacture of piano organs, which they hire out for 15 shillings a week. The poor devil drags his instrument around from ten in the morning till eight or nine at night the public only tolerates them grudgingly – and this is only possible in working-class districts, for in the richer districts the police will not allow begging at all, even when it is disguised. As a result, the beggars of London live mainly on the poor."
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513:. They are equipped with multiple ranks of pipes and percussion. As originally built the organ was operated by the 'organ grinder' turning a large handle to operate both the bellows/reservoir and the card feed mechanism. Almost all examples in the Netherlands have now been converted to belt drive from a small battery powered motor or
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book-operated organs, with hundreds of pipes weighing several hundred pounds. The largest organs were usually mounted on a cart, and required a team of operators to move, particularly in the
Netherlands when crossing the steep canal bridges of Amsterdam streets. The most elaborate organs would have mechanical figures or
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the Dutch street organ is nevertheless able to produce enough volume to be heard easily on a busy street corner. Modern Dutch street organs are frequently trailer mounted, and sized for towing behind a pickup or other light truck. Some have a small engine on the front of the chassis allowing them to
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owing to its use of a pinned cylinder (barrel) to operate levers and play notes, can be found in literature as early as the late 18th century. Many were built by
Italian organ builders who had settled in France and Germany, creating companies such as Frati, Gavioli, Gasparini and Fassano. These early
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held in front of him and supported by a hinged or removable wooden stick or leg that was strapped to the back of the organ. The strap around his neck would balance the organ, leaving one hand free to turn the crank and the other to steady the organ. A tin cup on top of the organ, or in the hand of
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wrote of the organ-grinders of London: "To ask outright for money is a crime, yet it is perfectly legal to annoy one's fellow citizens by pretending to entertain them. Their dreadful music is the result of a purely mechanical gesture, and is only intended to keep them on the right side of the law.
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Moving away from the stereotype, in reality the size of the street organ varied from a tiny barrel organ with only 20 or fewer pipes, weighing only a few pounds, through medium-sized instruments containing forty or more pipes, mounted on a hand-pushed trolley, up to large ornately decorated
93:, could play more than one tune, and were considerably larger, in sizes up to 75 cm (29 in) long and 40 cm (16 in) deep. Wooden bass pipes were placed underneath the organ and on the front were often mounted a set of pan-flutes or piccolo pipes, with decorative finishes.
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The organ grinder would pick up an organ in a small storefront shop, or livery, and then walk or take the streetcar to his chosen neighborhood. After moving from block to block throughout the day, he would return the organ to the livery and pay a portion of the take to the owner.
227:. Later depictions would stress the romantic or picturesque aspects of the activity. Whereas some organ grinders were very likely itinerants or vagabonds, many, certainly in New York, were Italian immigrants who chose to be street performers in order to support their families.
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or in a neighborhood), moving from place to place after collecting a few coins or in order to avoid being arrested for loitering or chased by people who do not appreciate hearing his single tune repeatedly. The grinder would often have as a companion a
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the street organ was no more popular initially, but thanks to several organ hire companies who took particular pride in the condition, sound and repertoire of their instruments, the public there became more accepting of the
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and the holders of copyrights to the most popular operatic tunes of the day often banded together in order to enforce collection of performance duties from any musician playing their property in any venue. When faced with
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In many towns in Europe the barrel street organ was not just a solo performer, but used by a group of musicians as part of a story-telling street act, together with brightly coloured posters and sing-along sessions. In
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Period literature often represents the grinder as a gentleman of ill repute or as an unfortunate representative of the lower classes. Newspaper reporters would sometimes describe them cynically or jocularly as minor
151:(organ man) and as a result the tradition of playing an organ on the street entered Dutch culture where they remained a common sight until the beginning of the 21st century; they have all but vanished, since.
124:'s role in renting out the machines. An unfortunate consequence was the destruction of hundreds of organs, the barrels of which contained a record of the popular music of the day. Before the invention of the
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The barrels used were heavy, held only a limited number of tunes, and could not easily be upgraded to play the latest hits, which greatly limited the musical and practical ability of these instruments.
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was a particularly virulent enemy of the organ grinders. He would chase them around town, complain to authorities about their noisy presence, and forever ask the police to arrest them. The violinist
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player, this was the only permanent recording of these tunes. The law that banned barrel organs in New York was repealed in 1975 but that mode of musical performance had become obsolete by then.
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wrote to a friend that he could not write for more than half an hour without being disturbed by the most excruciating sounds imaginable, coming in from barrel organs on the street.
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and the hounding of other legal representatives of the music industry of the time, in addition to the other sources of hostility mentioned above organ grinders soon disappeared.
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In addition to a few antique barrel organs, there are many more modern organs that have been built. These do not operate on pinned barrels anymore, but use perforated
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According to Ord-Hume the disappearance of organ grinders from
European streets was in large part due to the early application of national and international
345:), where many enthusiasts would assemble and entertain on the streets. Such dress may also be used at a wedding, where the organ grinder may perform the
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designed to be mobile enough to play its music in the street. The two most commonly seen types are the smaller German and the larger Dutch street organ.
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monkey, tethered to a string, to do tricks and attract attention, as well as the important task of collecting money from passers-by.
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334:-systems. Organ grinders are a common sight in Mexico City, and the related street organs are common in Germany and the Netherlands.
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341:, albeit not necessarily those of an organ-grinder. Such performers may perform at "organ rallies" (such as the "MEMUSI" event in
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also had ordinances prohibiting organ grinders. The authorities often encouraged policemen to treat the grinders as beggars or
306:, on the other hand, is quoted to have said: "we musicians must stick together" while handing an organ-grinder some change.
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there were a limited number of permits for organ grinders, and entry in that reserved circle was based on a waiting list or
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of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, and refers to the operator of a street or barrel organ.
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Larger organs are not usually turned by hand, but use an electric motor. Such larger instruments are called a
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led to a situation where, by 1880, nearly one in 20 Italian men in certain areas were organ grinders.
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George Orwell, A Kind of
Compulsion, 1903–36, p.134, from 'Beggars in London', first published in
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or at any other event where a solo performer might be chosen over hiring an entire band or a
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laws. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century
European publishers of
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784:"Way Back Machine : If Not for Bias in Ariz., N.Y. Might Be Good for Organ Grinders"
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mounted on top of or in the front of the case, along with percussion instruments.
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Quotation #2796 by
Winston Churchill, from Laura Moncur's Motivational Quotations
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862:, London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, Chapter 26, page 342.
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747:"Man, Monkey And Organ Grinding Slowly To A Halt - Joe Bush Organ Grinder"
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In New York, where monkeys were commonly used by organ grinders, mayor
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A street barrel organ playing in Berlin Mitte - Nikolaiviertel (Video)
532:(formerly 'Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement') in Utrecht.
501:. Note fanfold book playing through keyframe in centre and belt drive.
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The stereotypical organ grinder was a man, bearing a medium-sized
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who were paid to keep silent, given the repetitious nature of the
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The first descriptions of the street organ, at that time always a
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The grinder would crank the organ in any public place (either a
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623:: a mechanical organ operated by a pinned barrel rather than a
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a companion, was used to solicit payments for his performance.
809:
Barrel Organ: The Story of the
Mechanical Organ and Its Repair
481:
Street Organ showing full size (with people to show scale) at
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Organ grinder, Sydney, Australia, 9 April 1940, by N. Herfort
509:(unlike the simple street organ) are large organs that play
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27:
Portable, automatic mechanical pneumatic musical instrument
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Woodsville, New
Hampshire: Mechanical Music Press, 2001.
636:: an organ that plays in a dance hall, ball room or cafe
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banned the instruments from the streets in 1935, citing
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German-style street organs are usually operated by a
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428:" during a performance of the Dutch street organ
895:The Golden Age of Automatic Musical Instruments.
724:"The sudden demise of New York's organ grinders"
337:Some modern day organ grinders like to dress in
120:, the "begging" inherent in the profession, and
517:, allowing the organ grinder to collect money.
466:, viewed from the front on a street corner in
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520:Slightly smaller than the semi-trailer-sized
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588:A street organ player in Warnemünde, Germany
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953:A picture of a 1930s American organ grinder
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528:Dutch street organs are on display at the
432:. It was recorded on May 23, 2003 using a
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197:The organ grinder was a musical novelty
860:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher
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989:Traditional French musical instruments
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76:An organ grinder with a monkey, 1892 (
900:Reblitz, Arthur A., Q. David Bowers.
685:Waldkircher Dreh- und Jahrmarktorgeln
642:: an organ that plays on a fairground
347:Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin
7:
911:. New York: Drake Publishers, 1975.
904:. New York: The Vestal Press, 1981.
878:where the street organ is known as
375:to refer to a mechanically played,
25:
705:From Music Boxes to Street Organs
424:This is a short clip of part of "
379:-like instrument also known as a
211:(1796), a hand-tinted etching by
782:Roberts, Sam (8 February 2010),
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455:
444:Problems playing this file? See
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34:Organ-grinder in Vienna, Austria
560:A street organ (locally called
89:organs had more pipes than the
1366:Mechanical musical instruments
1:
902:Treasures of Mechanical Music
807:Ord-Hume, Arthur WJG (1978).
745:Barry, Ellen (10 July 2006).
410:Dutch street organ audio clip
436:Coolpix 4500 digital camera.
683:Jüttemann, Herbert (1993).
1397:
1376:French musical instruments
322:) or perforated cardboard
62:mechanical pneumatic organ
909:History of Music Machines
907:Smithsonian Institution.
811:. George Allen and Unwin.
668:Zeraschi, Helmut (1976).
283:In an article from 1929,
948:(in English and Spanish)
858:Babbage, Charles (1864)
703:de Waard, Romke (1967).
101:, the massive influx of
916:Mechanical Music Digest
462:The Dutch street organ
238:summer festival in 1989
943:Street organ in Mexico
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672:. Berne and Stuttgart.
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426:Quando, Quando, Quando
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60:is a French automatic
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687:. Waldkircher Verlag.
572:-driven Berlin-style
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270:white-headed capuchin
234:Organ grinder at the
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371:, many use the term
190:An organ grinder in
1295:Cornemuse du Centre
1020:Epinette des Vosges
941:Video documentary:
935:Dutch street organs
893:Reblitz, Arthur A.
707:. The Vestal Press.
536:German street organ
525:be self-propelled.
507:Dutch street organs
483:Floriade (Canberra)
131:Many cities in the
114:Fiorello La Guardia
1035:Tambourin à cordes
826:Le Progrès Civique
568:) player with his
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392:Dutch street organ
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209:A grinder of music
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118:traffic congestion
103:Italian immigrants
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1381:French inventions
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1310:Orgue de barbarie
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937:, a brief summary
882:orgue de Barbarie
839:"Capuchin Monkey"
828:, 12 January 1929
759:on 4 January 2015
752:Los Angeles Times
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468:Sydney, Australia
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53:orgue de barbarie
16:(Redirected from
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1320:Orgue de rue
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842:. Retrieved
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787:
777:
769:Sun Sentinel
767:– via
761:. Retrieved
757:the original
750:
740:
728:. Retrieved
704:
684:
678:
669:
621:Barrel organ
574:barrel organ
561:
539:
527:
519:
506:
505:
498:
463:
429:
381:barrel piano
373:street organ
372:
366:
355:
336:
313:
310:Modern usage
294:
290:
282:
262:
249:
244:barrel organ
241:
236:Kristinestad
217:
208:
196:
164:
153:
148:
141:
130:
111:
107:
95:
86:barrel organ
83:
57:
48:orgue de rue
40:street organ
39:
37:
1330:Ralé-poussé
1088:instruments
634:Dance organ
362:orchestrion
316:paper rolls
192:Mexico City
171:sheet music
144:Netherlands
1355:Categories
1230:Sunaglieri
1223:Idiophones
1185:Percussion
1146:Cialamedda
1104:Flutes and
793:8 February
670:Drehorgeln
652:References
629:Book music
625:Music Roll
570:paper roll
542:music roll
511:book music
446:media help
324:book music
1340:Serinette
1335:Riberbula
1325:Pyrophone
1300:Limonaire
1290:Chabrette
1137:Free-reed
1095:Urganettu
1086:Free-reed
1025:Mandulina
844:3 January
763:3 January
730:5 January
576:in Vienna
564:Werklmann
387:Varieties
330:- and/or
328:microchip
259:Operation
167:copyright
160:seniority
91:serinette
1285:Caramusa
1280:Cabrette
946:(2 min)
615:See also
497:Rear of
253:automata
176:notaries
162:system.
149:orgelman
1275:Bousine
1235:Timpanu
1214:Rouleur
1123:Pu'akau
1118:Pu toka
1040:Ukulele
1030:Mandore
1015:Cythara
1003:Plucked
485:in 2013
367:In the
142:In the
68:History
1260:Bodega
1253:Others
1240:Kayamb
1172:Pifana
1151:Pirula
1128:Pūʻili
1113:Graïle
1010:Cetera
996:String
866:
351:deejay
343:Vienna
44:French
1305:Loure
1199:Gumbe
1192:Drums
1165:Horns
1139:pipes
1106:oboes
1061:Bobre
1049:Bowed
434:Nikon
377:piano
225:music
156:Paris
1265:Boha
1209:Pate
1204:Pahu
1156:Vivo
1079:Wind
864:ISBN
846:2015
795:2010
765:2015
732:2015
332:MIDI
627:or
544:or
353:.
154:In
50:or
1357::
817:^
786:,
749:.
713:^
693:^
660:^
548:.
383:.
364:.
139:.
46::
38:A
981:e
974:t
967:v
848:.
771:.
734:.
448:.
80:)
42:(
20:)
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