Archer Gibson (1875-1952)
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Archer Gibson Residence

257 West 86th Street at Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10024



Archer Gibson entertaining lawyers (c.1935) at the Aeolian Organ, Op. 1419 (1918) in his New York City apartment (courtesy Jim Lewis)  
Archer Gibson entertaining attorneys from a friend's law office (c.1935)  


JIM LEWIS (3/1/11): The apartment measured 20' X 30' with a beamed ceiling 18' in height. The room was entirely wood paneled, with bookshelves occupying the lower sections of three sides. The fourth side contain floor-to-ceiling windows that looked north toward Central Park. 
Above the bookshelves was a bracketed overhang holding portions of the organ, while the console was attached to a 45º angled section near the windows. Behind the console were the Harp, Vibraharp and Dolce Division. Along the west area were the Solo division (added in 1929), Pedal pipework, regulators and the Great Open Diapason 8'. Along the south area were the Swell and Great divisions, both separately enclosed.
Gibson's apartment also contained a Steinway Model B piano and a two-manual Harpsichord built in Boston by Arnold Dolmetsch.

Added in 1929, the floating Solo division contained-
Viole d'Orchestre 8', 4'
Viole Celeste       8', 4'
French Horn        8'
English Horn        8'
Tuba                   16', 8', 4'
           
  Archer Gibson (c.1920) at the Aeolian Organ, Op. 1419 (1918) in his New York City apartment (courtesy Jim Lewis)
Aeolian Company
New York City – Opus 1419 (1918, 1929)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 33 stops, 26 ranks



Stops added by Aeolian in 1929: Viol d'Orchestre 8' (73 notes); Viol Celeste 8' (73 notes); English Horn 8' (61 notes); French Horn  8' (61 notes); Tuba 16' (85 notes). Pipework placed on unit-style chests.

Organ rebuilt by Casavant for St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, MD, in 1954 as Opus #2226.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Diapason
61
8
   Flute MF
61
8
   String P Vibrato
61
4
   Flute (high)
61
8
   String MF
61
8
   Clarinet
61
8
   Flute F
61
8
   Trumpet
61
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Flute (deep)
61
8
   Flute P
61
8
   String F Vibrato
61
4
   Flute (high)
61
8
   String MF
61
  Mixture (Dol. Cornet, 3 ranks)
183
8
   String MP Vibrato
61
8
   Oboe
61
8
   String P
61
8
   Vox Humana
61
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   String MP Vibrato
SW
8
   Flute MF
GT
8
   String P
SW
4
   Flute (high)
GT
8
   Oboe
SW
8
   Clarinet
61
8
   Vox Humana
SW
   
               
Dolce Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   String Vibrato
61
8
   Flute
61
8
   String PP
61
8
   Vox Humana
61
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes, enclosed
16
   String P (deep)
30
16
   Flute P (deep)
SW
16
   Flute F (deep)
30
8
   Flute [ext. Flute F]
12
               
Percussion Instruments (Playable from Manuals I, II and III, and Pedals, with F and P Control)
   
Harp
49 notes
       
   
Chimes
20 notes
       
           
Sources:
     Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998. Specifications of Aeolian Organ, Op. 1419 (1918).

Photos:
     Lewis, James. Archer Gibson (c.1920) at Aeolian Organ, Op. 1419 in Gibson's apartment.
     Lewis, James. Archer Gibson (c.1935) at Aeolian Organ, Op. 1419 entertaining attorneys .
 
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