Bluebird Theatre
1763 Amsterdam Avenue at 147th Street
New York, N.Y. 10031
The 600-seat Bluebird Theatre, located in the Sugar Hill community of Harlem, opened in 1921. The Bluebird continued under that name for several years, but the 1930 edition of the Film Daily yearbork lists this venue as the Ramona Theatre. On May 27, 1938, the name was changed to Teatro Granada, and a program of second-run Spanish language films was standard fare. Sometime later, the name was changed again, this time to the Lido Theatre, and in 1951 the Lido was sold for $175,000 to Dr. Alvin A. Childs.
Rechristened as the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, Dr. Childs' Pentecostal church hosted the funeral service of Malcolm X on February 27, 1965. In 1974, the house of worship was renamed the Childs Memorial Temple. |
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Console awaiting restoration at the American Organ Institute |
Robert Morton Organ Co.
Van Nuys, Calif. (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 6 ranks
The Robert Morton organ built in 1928-29 for the Bluebird Theatre was installed in two chambers: on the left was the Main chamber that contained the Trumpet, Diapason and Kinura; and on the right was the Solo chamber that contained the Tibia, Violin and Vox Humana. Wind pressure for the majority of the organ is 10", with percussions on about 13", and the Vox Humana on 8". The late slab-side, decorated console was of natural mahogany with all stop switches self-contained.
It seems likely that the organ was repossessed by the factory because it was reinstalled in the Gilbert Van Camp mansion in Los Angeles. (Frank Van Camp and his son, Gilbert, sold their Indianapolis-based pork and beans business in 1914, then relocated to Los Angeles and bought the California Tunny Canning Company, the forerunner of Van Camp Seafood Company and its "Chicken of the Sea" brand.) The organ was reinstalled in one chamber and two ranks were changed: the Trumpet was replaced by a Saxophone, and a Concert Flute replaced the Kinura. Other changes were made to the unification scheme, and a Vibratone attachment was added to the Chrysoglott; when activated, the spinning paddle produced a vibraphone effect.
In the late 1990s, the organ was purchased and removed by Clark Wilson, a noted theatre organist and organ technician. In 2007, Mr. Wilson donated the organ to the American Organ Institute (AOI) at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The AOI plans to restore the organ and then install it in a practice room for student use and teaching. |
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Main – all on one tremulant
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Solo – Tibia/Violin tremulant, Vox tremulant
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8 |
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Trumpet |
73 |
16 |
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Tibia Clausa |
97 |
8 |
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Diapason |
73 |
8 |
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Violin |
73 |
8 |
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Kinura |
61 |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 |
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Pedal – 32 notes
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16 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Pedal 2nd Touch (backrail) |
8 |
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Trumpet |
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Bass Drum |
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8 |
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Diapason |
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Tympani |
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8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Crash Cymbal |
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8 |
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Violin |
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Band Cymbal |
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4 |
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Octave |
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Bass Drum |
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Tympani |
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Accompaniment (Manual I) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Chrysoglott |
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16 |
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Viol [TC] |
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Snare Drum |
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8 |
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Trumpet |
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Tom Tom |
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8 |
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Diapason |
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Tambourine |
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8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Castanets |
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8 |
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Kinura |
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Wood Drum |
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8 |
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Violin |
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8 |
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Vox Humana |
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2nd Touch (backrail) |
4 |
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Octave |
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8 |
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Trumpet |
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4 |
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Viol |
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8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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2 |
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Tibia Piccolo |
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Chimes |
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Solo (Manual II) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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2 2/3 |
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Twelfth |
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16 |
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Viol [TC] |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
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8 |
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Trumpet |
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1 3/5 |
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Tierce |
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8 |
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Diapason |
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Xylophone |
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8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Glockenspiel |
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8 |
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Kinura |
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Chimes |
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8 |
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Violin |
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8 |
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Vox Humana |
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2nd Touch (backrail) |
4 |
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Clarion |
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8 |
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Trumpet |
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4 |
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Tibia |
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8 |
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Diapason |
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4 |
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Viol |
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8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
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Tremolos
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Left |
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Right |
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Vox Humana |
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Vibratone |
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Effects – toe pistons
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Crash Cymbal |
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Triangle |
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Combinations
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Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 and Operator |
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affecting Solo and Pedal |
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Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 and Operator |
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affecting Accompaniment and Pedal |
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W.W. Kimball Co.
Chicago, Ill. (1921)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 7 ranks
The original organ installed in the Bluebird Theatre was built by W.W. Kimball of Chicago and installed in 1921. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Sources:
American Organ Institute web site: http://aoi.ou.edu/
Childs Memorial Temple web site: http://www.childsmemorialtemple.com
Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14691
Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
"Tuna Turnaround," Time Magazine (Jan. 18, 1963).
Wilson, Clark. Specifications of Robert Morton organ (1928).
Illustration:
American Organ Institute (University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK). Robert Morton console. |
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