George H. Whittier
New York City (1874)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 11 stops, 11 ranks
The organ in the Williamson residence was built in 1874 by George H. Whittier, who was known to have worked with J.H. & C.S. Odell in the 1860s. An account of this organ was published in the Brooklyn Eagle (Apr. 4, 1874):
COSTLY PARLOR ORGAN
"Mr. Williamson, of Clinton avenue, is having built for a room in his residence an organ of unusual size, great purity of tone, compass of octaves and exterior beauty. Large as it is (it is sufficient for a good sized church,) it will not be disagreeably loud. The aim of the builder of it, Mr. George H. Whittier, is to combine with softness and sweetness of tone, depth and richness of voice. An unusual thing for a "parlor organ," which in reality it is not, it will contain two keyboards. These will have five octaves each; and the pedal keyboard will control two octaves, making twelve octaves in all. To give a clearer idea of the combinations in this unique instrument, it should be understood that the stops of the "great organ" for the open diapason, are the dulciana, the melodia, the principal, the piccolo and the unison bass. The "swell organ" includes the open diapason, the clarionet flute, unison bass, the harmonic flute, the salicional and the hautboy. The couplers are the swell to great, swell to pedal and the great to pedal, with pedal Bourdon sixteen feet[, and] engine. The instrument, when completed ready for the performer, will have a height of twelve, a depth of six and a width of eight feet. It will weigh about two thousand pounds and will be placed on tracks so that it may be drawn from the recess in the wall in which it is to be placed, for the purpose of tuning or cleaning it. The bellows will be worked by a small water engine that will be placed in the basement of the dwelling. The action and wood pipes are all made of mahogany and the metal pipes are of pure block tin. Exteriorly, the case, lavishly decorated with attractive designs, will be of walnut with raised panels of French walnut. The pipes are to be painted a rich blue set off with a gold finish. The cost of this fine, compact instrument will be $2,000." |