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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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502:. 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
240:
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
513:
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
77:
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
235:
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.
239:
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
82:, 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.
216:. 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
85:
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
207:
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
140:(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.
113:'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.
291:
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
117:
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.
287:
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
334:), 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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323:-systems. Organ grinders are a common sight in Mexico City, and the related street organs are common in Germany and the Netherlands.
856:
712:
330:, albeit not necessarily those of an organ-grinder. Such performers may perform at "organ rallies" (such as the "MEMUSI" event in
124:
also had ordinances prohibiting organ grinders. The authorities often encouraged policemen to treat the grinders as beggars or
295:, 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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315:(this method is mostly to be found in France, the Netherlands or Belgium) and sometimes even electronic
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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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773:"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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851:, London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, Chapter 26, page 342.
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736:"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)
521:(formerly 'Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement') in Utrecht.
490:. 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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612:: 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.
798:
Barrel Organ: The Story of the
Mechanical Organ and Its Repair
470:
Street Organ showing full size (with people to show scale) at
268:
Organ grinder, Sydney, Australia, 9 April 1940, by N. Herfort
498:(unlike the simple street organ) are large organs that play
387:
16:
Portable, automatic mechanical pneumatic musical instrument
886:
Woodsville, New
Hampshire: Mechanical Music Press, 2001.
625:: 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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417:" during a performance of the Dutch street organ
884:The Golden Age of Automatic Musical Instruments.
713:"The sudden demise of New York's organ grinders"
326:Some modern day organ grinders like to dress in
109:, the "begging" inherent in the profession, and
506:, allowing the organ grinder to collect money.
455:, viewed from the front on a street corner in
962:
509:Slightly smaller than the semi-trailer-sized
8:
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577:A street organ player in Warnemünde, Germany
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40:
942:A picture of a 1930s American organ grinder
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517:Dutch street organs are on display at the
421:. It was recorded on May 23, 2003 using a
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186:The organ grinder was a musical novelty
849:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher
646:
539:
441:
978:Traditional French musical instruments
432:
65:An organ grinder with a monkey, 1892 (
889:Reblitz, Arthur A., Q. David Bowers.
674:Waldkircher Dreh- und Jahrmarktorgeln
631:: an organ that plays on a fairground
336:Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin
7:
900:. New York: Drake Publishers, 1975.
893:. New York: The Vestal Press, 1981.
867:where the street organ is known as
364:to refer to a mechanically played,
14:
694:From Music Boxes to Street Organs
413:This is a short clip of part of "
368:-like instrument also known as a
200:(1796), a hand-tinted etching by
771:Roberts, Sam (8 February 2010),
582:
570:
542:
479:
463:
444:
433:Problems playing this file? See
403:
23:Organ-grinder in Vienna, Austria
549:A street organ (locally called
78:organs had more pipes than the
1355:Mechanical musical instruments
1:
891:Treasures of Mechanical Music
796:Ord-Hume, Arthur WJG (1978).
734:Barry, Ellen (10 July 2006).
399:Dutch street organ audio clip
425:Coolpix 4500 digital camera.
672:Jüttemann, Herbert (1993).
1386:
1365:French musical instruments
311:) or perforated cardboard
51:mechanical pneumatic organ
898:History of Music Machines
896:Smithsonian Institution.
800:. George Allen and Unwin.
657:Zeraschi, Helmut (1976).
272:In an article from 1929,
937:(in English and Spanish)
847:Babbage, Charles (1864)
692:de Waard, Romke (1967).
90:, the massive influx of
905:Mechanical Music Digest
451:The Dutch street organ
227:summer festival in 1989
932:Street organ in Mexico
870:
661:. Berne and Stuttgart.
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415:Quando, Quando, Quando
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49:is a French automatic
41:
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676:. Waldkircher Verlag.
561:-driven Berlin-style
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259:white-headed capuchin
223:Organ grinder at the
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178:
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22:
360:, many use the term
179:An organ grinder in
1284:Cornemuse du Centre
1009:Epinette des Vosges
930:Video documentary:
924:Dutch street organs
882:Reblitz, Arthur A.
696:. The Vestal Press.
525:German street organ
514:be self-propelled.
496:Dutch street organs
472:Floriade (Canberra)
120:Many cities in the
103:Fiorello La Guardia
1024:Tambourin à cordes
815:Le Progrès Civique
557:) player with his
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381:Dutch street organ
270:
229:
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198:A grinder of music
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107:traffic congestion
92:Italian immigrants
71:
25:
1370:French inventions
1337:
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1299:Orgue de barbarie
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1169:
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926:, a brief summary
871:orgue de Barbarie
828:"Capuchin Monkey"
817:, 12 January 1929
748:on 4 January 2015
741:Los Angeles Times
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457:Sydney, Australia
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254:business district
42:orgue de barbarie
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188:street performer
126:public nuisances
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45:) played by an
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47:organ grinder
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831:. Retrieved
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758:Sun Sentinel
756:– via
750:. Retrieved
746:the original
739:
729:
717:. Retrieved
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667:
658:
610:Barrel organ
563:barrel organ
550:
528:
516:
508:
495:
494:
487:
452:
418:
370:barrel piano
362:street organ
361:
355:
344:
325:
302:
299:Modern usage
283:
279:
271:
251:
238:
233:barrel organ
230:
225:Kristinestad
206:
197:
185:
153:
142:
137:
130:
119:
100:
96:
84:
75:barrel organ
72:
46:
37:orgue de rue
29:street organ
28:
26:
1319:Ralé-poussé
1077:instruments
623:Dance organ
351:orchestrion
305:paper rolls
181:Mexico City
160:sheet music
133:Netherlands
1344:Categories
1219:Sunaglieri
1212:Idiophones
1174:Percussion
1135:Cialamedda
1093:Flutes and
782:8 February
659:Drehorgeln
641:References
618:Book music
614:Music Roll
559:paper roll
531:music roll
500:book music
435:media help
313:book music
1329:Serinette
1324:Riberbula
1314:Pyrophone
1289:Limonaire
1279:Chabrette
1126:Free-reed
1084:Urganettu
1075:Free-reed
1014:Mandulina
833:3 January
752:3 January
719:5 January
565:in Vienna
553:Werklmann
376:Varieties
319:- and/or
317:microchip
248:Operation
156:copyright
149:seniority
80:serinette
1274:Caramusa
1269:Cabrette
935:(2 min)
604:See also
486:Rear of
242:automata
165:notaries
151:system.
138:orgelman
1264:Bousine
1224:Timpanu
1203:Rouleur
1112:Pu'akau
1107:Pu toka
1029:Ukulele
1019:Mandore
1004:Cythara
992:Plucked
474:in 2013
356:In the
131:In the
57:History
1249:Bodega
1242:Others
1229:Kayamb
1161:Pifana
1140:Pirula
1117:Pūʻili
1102:Graïle
999:Cetera
985:String
855:
340:deejay
332:Vienna
33:French
1294:Loure
1188:Gumbe
1181:Drums
1154:Horns
1128:pipes
1095:oboes
1050:Bobre
1038:Bowed
423:Nikon
366:piano
214:music
145:Paris
1254:Boha
1198:Pate
1193:Pahu
1145:Vivo
1068:Wind
853:ISBN
835:2015
784:2010
754:2015
721:2015
321:MIDI
616:or
533:or
342:.
143:In
39:or
1346::
806:^
775:,
738:.
702:^
682:^
649:^
537:.
372:.
353:.
128:.
35::
27:A
970:e
963:t
956:v
837:.
760:.
723:.
437:.
69:)
31:(
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