Former Charles H. Davis Residence - New York City
  Click on images to enlarge
Charles Henry Davis Residence

323 West 80th Street at Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10024









Charles Henry Davis (1861-1929) was a noted photographer. He was president of Davis & Sanford, one of the first photography firms to establish a studio, in 1892, on Fifth Avenue. Mr. Davis was also an assistant music critic of The New York Evening Post, and wrote Hand Book of Electrical Diagrams and Connections. He was a member of the Camera, Columbia Yacht, Colonial, Magnetic, Kit Kat and National Arts clubs, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Mr. Davis married Helen Maria Hinds of Boston on November 19, 1896, in All Souls' Church, New York City. In 1913, he retired from Davis & Sanford and moved to Hoboken two years later; his relocation was to have been temporary but became permanent. Charles Henry Davis died on May 16, 1929, in the French Hospital, New York City.

The Davises had residences in Belle Island, Conn., and at 323 West 80th Street, east of Riverside Drive. Their West 80th Street residence is extant and within the "Riverside Drive–West 80th–81st Street Historic District," as designated in 1985 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
           
  Aeolian Organ, Op. 837 (1897) in Charles H. Davis Residence - New York City
   
  Aeolian Organ, Op. 837 (1897) in Charles H. Davis Residence - New York City
Aeolian Company
New York City – Opus 837 (1897)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 15 stops, 15 ranks
Aeolian Player







The Aeolian Company contract for this organ, dated September 8, 1897, showed that the two-manual instrument included an Aeolian player and connections for the attachment of a Chickering Grand Piano. Total cost of the organ was $5,860.

In 1928, the organ was sold to J. E. Barbour of Paterson, N.J., at a cost of $8,875. Aeolian extended the manual compasses from 58 to 61 notes, and the pedal compass from 30 to 32. Aeolian also provided a new console equipped with a Duo-Art (automatic) and Solo (semi-automatic) player, swapped the Great Fugara with the Swell Flute Harmonique [sic], and added a 61-tone Harp and a Pedal 16' Flute (deep).
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
58
8
   Doppel Flute
58
8
   Dulciana
58
4
   Fugara
58
8
   Viol di Gamba
58
8
   Trumpet
58
8
   Quintadena
58
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed
8
   Salicional
58
4
   Flute d'Amour
58
8
   Dolcissimo
58
8
   French Horn
58
8
   Vox Celestis [TC]
46
8
   Oboe
58
8
   Rohr Flute
58
        
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
   Bourdon
30
        
               
Couplers
    Swell to Great   Swell to Pedal
    Swell to Great Octaves   Great to Pedal
               
Accessories
    Tremulant   Great Organ Piano Comb. Piston
    Great Organ to Aeolian   Great Organ Mezzo Comb. Piston
    Swell Organ to Aeolian   Great Organ Forte Comb. Piston
    Pedal Organ to Aeolian   Swell Organ Pianissimo Comb. Pist.
    Aeolian Tempo   Swell Organ Piano Comb. Piston
    Aeolian Return   Swell Organ Mezzo Comb. Piston
   
Piano Ventil ) Connections prepared for attachment of Chickering Grand Piano
Soft Piano )
Loud Piano )
  Swell Organ Forte Comb. Piston
      Balanced Crescendo Pedal
      Balanced Swell Pedal
        Balanced Great Pedal
           
Sources:
     Allan, Sidney. "The Ideal Average—Charles H. Davis." Wilson's Photographic Magazine (Vol. 43, Jan. 1906).
     Biographical Directory of the State of New York 1900. New York: Biographical Directory Company, 1900.
     "Charles H. Davis, Photographer, Dead," The New York Times (May 17, 1929).
     Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.
     "Married. Davis–Hinds," The New York Times (Nov. 20, 1896).
     Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of Aeolian organ, Op. 837 (1897).
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of Aeolian organ, Op. 837 (1897) as revised in 1928.

Illustrations:
     Google Street View. Exterior.
     Lewis, James. Organ case and console of Aeolian organ, Op. 837 (1897).