Skinner Organ Studio - New York City
 
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Skinner Organ Co. Studio

677 Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street
New York, N.Y. 10022



The Ernest M. Skinner Company maintained a luxurious showroom on the fourth floor of the Cammeyer Building, directly across Fifth Avenue from St. Thomas Church and its famous Skinner organ. The studio, which opened in April 1922, included a three-manual organ with player attachment. Beginning in March 1923, experimental organ concerts were broadcast over radio station WEAF of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Arthur Hudson Marks performed the first concert, presumably from rolls, and was followed on succeeding Sunday nights by Henry F. Seibert, W.A. Goldsworthy, G.H. Federlein, Lynnwood Farnam, William E. Zeuch, Chardler Goldthwaite, and Maurice Garabrant. Organ selections included familiar classics such as Handel's "Largo", "The Rosary", "Prize Song" from Die Meistersinger by Wagner, and "Onward Christian Soldiers". Marks and Skinner were not entirely satisfied with the sound of the Skinner organ over the radio, but worked with engineers to capture the organ's dynamic range more successfully. From November 6, 1925 to July of 1926, radio station WAGH of New York arranged to broadcast a series of weekly one-hour recitals from the Skinner Organ Studio, as performed by a large number of distinguished organists. The broadcasts reached a huge number of listeners from as far away as Kansas, Cuba, and Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. The Skinner Company provided a room and bath in the building for visiting organists and other guests.
             
  Skinner Organ, Op. 349 (1922) in the Skinner Organ Co. Studio - New York City (courtesy Barbara Owen)
Skinner Organ Co.
Boston, Mass. – Opus 349 (1922)
Electro-pneumatic action
Automatic roll-player
3 manuals, 69 stops, 37 ranks



The following is from the Skinner Factory Specifications ("Corrected 12/15/21"). Over the years this organ was altered several times.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed (6" pressure)
16
   Bourdon
73
4
   Flute
73
8
   Diapason
73
4
   Unda Maris II ranks
146
8
   Clarabella
73
8
   Cornopean
73
8
   Spitz Flute
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
8
   Flute Celeste [TC]
61
     Tremolo  
8
   Gedeckt
73
    
Celesta
61 bars
8
   Voix Celeste II ranks
146
     Harp  
8
   Aeoline
73
8
   Piano  
8
   Unda Maris [TC]
61
4
   Piano  
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed (6" pressure)
8
   Diapason
73
8
   Oboe
61
8
   Voix Celeste II ranks
146
8
   English Horn
61
8
   Chimney Flute
73
8
   Tuba
61
8
   Cello
61
8
   Clarinet
61
4
   Flute
61
8
   Vox Humana
61
2
   Piccolo
61
     Tremolo  
16
   Bassoon
61
    
Chimes
25 tubes
8
   French Horn (10" w.p.)
61
8
   2nd French Horn [added 3/18/22]
61
8
   Flugel Horn
61
     2 Blank Knobs  

     

     
Solo Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes (From Swell) Lettering to be in Black
8
   Diapason
SW
8
   Oboe
SW
8
   Voix Celeste II ranks
SW
8
   English Horn
SW
8
   Chimney Flute
SW
8
   Tuba
SW
8
   Cello
SW
8
   Clarinet
SW
4
   Flute
SW
8
   Vox Humana
SW
2
   Piccolo
SW
     Tremolo
SW
16
   Bassoon
SW
    
Chimes
SW
8
   French Horn (10" w.p.)
SW
8
   2nd French Horn [added 3/18/22]
SW
8
   Flugel Horn
SW
     2 Blank Knobs  
               
Solo Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes (From Great) Lettering to be in Green
16
   Bourdon
GT
4
   Flute
GT
8
   Diapason
GT
4
   Unda Maris II ranks
GT
8
   Clarabella
GT
8
   Cornopean
GT
8
   Spitz Flute
GT
8
   Vox Humana
GT
8
   Flute Celeste [TC]
GT
     Tremolo  
8
   Gedeckt
GT
    
Celesta
GT
8
   Voix Celeste II ranks
GT
     Harp  
8
   Aeoline
GT
8
   Piano  
8
   Unda Maris [TC]
GT
4
   Piano  
               
Echo Organ – 61 notes, enclosed (5" pressure)
8
   Chimney Flute
61
     Blank Knob  
8
   Flute Celeste [TC]
49
     Echo On Great Off  
8
   Vox Humana
61
     Echo On Solo Off  
    Tremolo          
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes – Augmented (5" pressure)
16
   Bourdon
44
8
   Cello
SW
16
   Echo Lieblich
GT
16
   Trombone (10" w.p.)
44
16
   Gamba
32
16
   Bassoon
GT
8
   Bass Flute
—
8
   Tromba [ext.]
—
8
   Gedeckt [ext.]
—
16
   Piano  
8
   Still Gedeckt
GT
8
   Piano  
               
Couplers
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Solo 8'
    Great to Pedal 8'   Great to Great 16', 4'
    Solo to Pedal 8'   Swell to Swell 16', 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Solo to Solo 16', 4'
    Solo to Great 16', 8'    
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8  
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Ped. to Man. Combs. On & Off
Solo & Echo Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8  
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5  
  General Release  
               
Mechanicals
    Swell Expression   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Great Expression   Sforzando *
    Piano Expression   Tracker Touch
    Crescendo   Full Player Mechanism
         
        * Also by 2 buttons:
One to be a reversible
One to put sforzando on only while button is held
             
Sources:
     Aeolian-Skinner Archives: http://aeolianskinner.organsociety.org/
     The American Organist (Vol. 10-8). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     Holden, Dorothy. The Life and Work of Ernest M. Skinner. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1987. Photo of console from Skinner Organ Co. Residential Organ advertising booklet, courtesy Barbara Owen.
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     "Stop, Open and Reed – a Periodical Presentation of Pipe Organ Progress". Boston: Skinner Organ Company, 1922-1927.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications ("12/15/21") of Skinner Organ Co. organ, Op. 349.

Illustrations:
     Owen, Barbara: Skinner Organ, Op. 349 (1922).
     "Stop, Open and Reed – a Periodical Presentation of Pipe Organ Progress": Studio interior.