Welte-Mignon Studio - New York City


	695 Fifth Avenue (1927-1931)

	665 Fifth Avenue (1916-1927) Click on images to enlarge

Welte-Mignon Studio

695 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street
New York, N.Y. 10022

Organ Specifications:
695 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street (1927-1931)
► III/38 Welte-Mignon (1927)
665 Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street (1916-1927)
► III/28 Welte & Sons (1916)
273 Fifth Avenue at 29th Street (1910-1916)
► Welte Philharmonic Organ – Model II (1913)
► Welte Philharmonic Organ – Model III – Style A (1913)
► Welte Philharmonic Organ – Model IV – Style A (1913)
► Welte Philharmonic Organ – Model VI – Style B (1913)


273 Fifth Avenue (1910-1916)

Organs in studio at 695 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street:

Welte-Mignon Corporation
Bronx, N.Y. (1927)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 92 stops, 38 ranks

This organ included a three-manual concert console plus a three-manual roll-recording console attached to the case at the opposite end of the showroom.

C O N C E R T C O N S O L E

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

First Touch

Second Touch

Contra Dulciana

Diapason [Diaphonic]

English Diapason

Tibia

Concert Flute

Cellos III ranks

Gemshorn

—

Flute [Tibia]

Dulciana

Tuba

Unda Maris

Clarinet

—

Traverse Flute

—

Oboe Horn

Gemshorn

—

Chimes

Piccolo

—

Glockenspiel

—

French Horn

Great to Choir 8'

Clarinet

Swell to Choir 8'

Harp

49 notes

Celesta

Glockenspiel

37 notes

Piano

Choir 16', 4', Unison Off

Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Double Diapason [Eng.]

Twenty-second

—

Diapason Phonon

Mixture V ranks [collective]

305

English Diapason

—

Tuba

Tibia Minor

Cornet [Tuba]

—

Concert Flute

Chimes

Gamba

Harp

Gemshorn

Celesta

Octave [Eng. Diap.]

—

Glockenspiel

Flute Couverte [Tibia]

—

Piano

88 notes

2 2/3

Twelfth

—

Piano

—

Fifteenth

—

Great 16', 4', Unison Off

1 3/5

Seventeenth

—

Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

1 1/3

Nineteenth

—

Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Lieblich Gedeckt

Contra Fagotto

97 [sic]

Open Diapason

Trumpet

Philomela

Oboe Horn

—

Bourdon

English Horn

Viola

Vox Humana

Violes Celestes II ranks

146

Muted Trumpet

[flat and sharp]

Clarion

Aeoline

Harp

Vox Angelica

Celesta

Violin

—

Glockenspiel

Wald Flute

—

Piano

2 2/3

Nazard

—

Piano

Flautino

—

Swell 16', 4', Unison Off

1 3/5

Tierce

—

Choir to Swell 8'

Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed

Acoustic Bass [Tibia]

—

Flute

Diaphonic Diapason

Tuba Profunda

Bourdon [Tibia]

Contra Fagotto

Violone

Tuba Horn

Contra Dulciana

Bassoon

Lieblich Gedeckt

Chimes

Octave

Piano

Viola

Piano

Cellos II ranks

Choir to Pedal 8'

Open Flute

Great to Pedal 8'

Gedeckt

Swell to Pedal 8', 4'

Violin III ranks

E C H O
In a basement chamber, speaking through a tone chute and
an ornamental iron grill in the wall opposite the main organ.

Accompaniment Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

Horn Diapason

—

Viola

—

Cor de Nuit

—

Chimes

20 notes

Viola Aetheria

—

Celesta

—

Vox Angelica

—

Main Off

Flute

—

Solo Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Contre Viole

Viola

—

Horn Diapason

Echo Piccolo

—

Cor de Nuit

Corno d'Amore

Quintadena

Vox Humana

Viola Aetheria

—

Celesta

37 notes

Vox Angelica

Echo 16', 4'

Flute

—

Main Off

Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed

Bourdon

—

Accomp. to Pedal 8'

Gedeckt

—

Solo to Pedal 8'

Viola

—

Main Off

Adjustable Combinations (remote control – inside setter)

Seven toe pistons affecting stops and couplers of Pedal organ

Seven double touch pistons affecting stops and couplers of Choir and Pedal organs

Seven double touch pistons affecting stops and couplers of Great and Pedal organs

Seven double touch pistons affecting stops and couplers of Swell and Pedal organs

Five pistons affecting stops and couplers of Echo and its Pedal organ

Ten universal key touches affecting stops and couplers of entire organ

On and off switch connecting couplers to manual and pedal combinations

On and off switch connecting octave couplers of each manual to its manual combinations

Five cancel key touches affecting respective groups

General cancel key touches affecting entire organ, duplicated by toe piston

Combination setter piston

Tremolo cancel piston

Tremolos

Tremolo for Choir (light wind stops)

Tremolo for Echo

Tremolo for Great (heavy wind stops)

Vibrato for Vox Humana, main organ

Tremolo for Swell

Vibrato for Vox Humana, echo organ

R E C O R D I N G C O N S O L E

Echo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

Cor de Nuit

Vox Humana

Viola Aetheria

Tremolo

Quintadena

Echo 16', 4'

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

English Diapason

French Horn

Concert Flute

Harp

Gamba

Chimes

Dulciana

Great 16', 4', Unison Off

Unda Maris

Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

Traverse Flute

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Open Diapason

Cornopean Bass

Philomela

Cornopean Treble

Bourdon

Trumpet

Viola

Oboe Horn

Flauto Dolce

Vox Humana

Aeoline

Tremolo

Clarinet

Swell 16', 4', Unison Off

Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed

Bourdon

Tuba Profunda

Violone

Great to Pedal 8'

Lieblich Gedeckt

Swell to Pedal 8', 4'

Flute

Adjustable Combinations(Recorder Board)

Six double touch pistons affecting Great and Pedal stops and couplers

Six double touch pistons affecting Swell and Pedal stops and couplers

Three pistons affecting Echo stops and couplers

Six universal pistons affecting stops and couplers of entire organ

One double touch cancel piston for Great and Pedal stops and couplers

One double touch cancel piston for Swell and Pedal stops and couplers

One Echo cancel piston

One universal cancel piston

Accessories

Balanced Expression Pedal – Main organ

Swell to Pedal Reversible

Balanced Expression Pedal – Echo organ

Indicators for Crescendo, etc.

Balanced Crescendo Pedal

Cancel for Concert console

Great to Pedal reversible

Reproduction Controls

Starter

Re-roll

Tempo

Repeat

Recording Accessories

Signal light from and signal button to recording machine

Dictograph at Console and Recorder

Organ in studio located at 665 Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street:

Welte & Sons Co.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1916)
Actually built by the Ernest M. Skinner Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 253 (1916)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 33 stops, 28 ranks

This organ was subcontracted to the Ernest M. Skinner Company (Op. 253) by Welte & Sons Company of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. It was subsequently sold to Eugene I. Meyer and installed in his 28,322-square-foot mansion at "Seven Springs" in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. Mr. Meyer (1875–1959) was an American financier, public official, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, first President of the World Bank, and publisher of the Washington Post newspaper. He was the father of Katharine Graham, who took over the reins of the Post in 1963.


Welte Organ relocated to Speyer Technik Museum

At an unknown time, possibly in the 1970s when the estate was given to Yale University, the organ was sold to Marion R. Frazier of New York City, who installed it in his Automatic Instrument Company studio. In 1990 Frazier sold the organ to Claes O. Friburg, Copenhagen, Denmark, but in 1991 the organ was crated and stored in Shaftsbury, Vt.

In 1993 the organ was acquired by the Speyer Technik Museum, Speyer, German, where it was restored by Gotthard Arnold and his team of the "Fachstätte Historischer Musikautomaten".

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

Open Diapason

Principal

Violin Diapason

Flute Harmonic

Flute Traverso

Bassoon (Fagotto)

Violin Solo

Harp

61 notes

Viol d'Orchestre

Chimes

25 notes

Voix Celeste

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Diapason

Clarinet

Horn (Gross Flute)

Oboe

Bourdon

Cor Anglais

Flute Dolce

Vox Humana

Viola di Gamba

Tremulant

Aeoline

Viola

Echo (Key Stop in Console)

Orchestral Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Diapason (Violin Diap.)

Flute Harmonic

Concert Flute (Fl. Trav.)

Trumpet

Gamba (Vln. Solo)

Orchestral Oboe

Quintadena

French Horn

Pedal Organ – 32 notes

Subbass *

Flute [ext. Subbass]

—

Bourdon (Soft)

Trombone

Violin Bass

* "Loud voiced to go with Tutti"

Couplers

Great to Pedal

Swell to Orchestral

Swell to Pedal

Orchestral to Swell

Orchestral to Pedal

Swell Super, Sub

Swell to Great Sub, Unison, Super

Orchestral Super, Sub

Orchestral to Great

Orchestral Effects

Balance Swell Pedal

Bass Drum

Creszendo [sic]

Free Combinations

Fixed Combinations

Great Organ	Pianissimo, Piano, Mezzoforte, Forte, Tutti
Swell Organ	Pianissimo, Piano, Mezzoforte, Forte, Tutti
Orchestral Organ	Pianissimo, Piano, Mezzoforte, Forte, Tutti
Whole Organ	Pianissimo, Piano, Mezzoforte, Forte, Tutti

Organ in studio located at 273 Fifth Avenue:

M. Welte & Sons
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1913)
Tubular-pneumatic action
Welte Philharmonic Organ
Model II

Playable exclusively by means of music rolls


	Model II

Bass
8		Viola Dolce
16		Sub Bass
8		Contra Bass

Treble
8		Violin Dolce
8		Flute Dolce
8		Diapason
8		Clarinet

Orchestral Effects
		Crescendo Arrangement
		Tremolo
		Kettle Drum

Dimensions and Weights
		Width 6' 6" Height 9' Depth 2' 11"
		Net Weight 1500 Pounds
		Gross Weight 2000 Pounds

Organ in studio located at 273 Fifth Avenue:

M. Welte & Sons
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1913)
Tubular-pneumatic action
Welte Philharmonic Organ
Model III – Style A

Playable exclusively by means of music rolls


	Model III – Style B (with console)

Great Organ
8		Violin Dolce
8		Orchestral Flute
8		Diapason
4		Flute

Solo Organ
8		Flute Dolce
8		Horn
16		Clarinet

Pedal
16		Bourdon

Orchestral Effects
		Crescendo Arrangement
		Tremolo
		Kettle Drum

Couplers
		Pedal to Great Organ
		Suboctave Coupler
		Superoctave Coupler

Dimensions and Weights
		Width 10' Height 10' Depth 4'
		Net Weight 1950 Pounds
		Gross Weight 3100 Pounds

Organ in studio located at 273 Fifth Avenue:

M. Welte & Sons
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1913)
Tubular-pneumatic action
Welte Philharmonic Organ
Model IV – Style A

Playable exclusively by means of music rolls


	Model IV – Style A

Great Organ
8		Violin Dolce
8		Orchestral Flute
8		Diapason
4		Flute
8		Bassoon

Solo Organ
8		Flute Dolce
8		Horn
8		Oboe
16		Clarinet

Pedal
16		Bourdon

Orchestral Effects
		Crescendo Arrangement
		Tremolo
		Kettle Drum

Couplers
		Pedal to Great Organ
		Suboctave Coupler
		Superoctave Coupler

Dimensions and Weights
		Width 10' Height 11' Depth 5'
		Net Weight 2800 Pounds
		Gross Weight 4650 Pounds

Organ in studio located at 273 Fifth Avenue:

M. Welte & Sons
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1913)
Tubular-pneumatic action
Welte Philharmonic Organ
Model VI – Style B

Playable by means of music rolls
as well as by keyboard and pedal


	Model VI – Style B


Great Organ
8		Flute Traverso
8		Voix Celeste
8		Viola
4		Flute
8		Fagot
8		Violin Solo
8		Chamois Horn Solo

Solo Organ
8		Flute Dolce
8		Diapason
8		Eoline
4		Flute
8		Cor Anglais
8		Horn Solo
8		Oboe Solo
16		Clarinet

Pedal
16		Sub Bass
8		Violoncello

Orchestral Effects
		Crescendo Arrangement
		Tremolo
		Kettle Drum

Couplers
16		Swell to Great
8		Swell to Great
4		Swell to Great
8		Great to Pedal
8		Swell to Pedal

Combination Pistons
		Great Forte
		Great Mezzoforte
		Great Piano
		Swell Forte
		Swell Mezzoforte
		Swell Piano

Pedal Movements
		Grand Crescendo and Full Organ
		Reversible Pedal
		Balanced Swell Pedal

Dimensions and Weights
		Width 13' 6" Height 15' Depth 10' 6"
		Net Weight 7400 Pounds
		Gross Weight 12300 Pounds

Sources:
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Revised Edition). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
     "History of the House of Welte," The Music Trade Review (56:12:35).
     Kinzey, Allen and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Rev. Ed). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     Speyer Technik Museum web site: http://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/en/welte-organ
     Stout, Edward Millington III (Hayward, Calif.). Specifications of Ernest M. Skinner organ, Op. 253 (1916) built for Welte & Sons Company. Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     The Welte Philharmonic Organ, pub. by Welte-Mignon Corporation (c.1927). Specifications of Welte-Mignon Organ (1927). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     The Welte Philharmonic Organs, pub. by M. Welte & Sons (1913). Specifications of Welte Philharmonic Organs (Models II, III-A, IV-A, VI-B). Courtesy James Lewis.

Illustrations:
     Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Welte-Mignon organ case and console (1927); Welte & Sons organ case (1916).
     Lewis, James. Welte & Sons organ (1916) in Speyer Technik Museum, Speyer, Germany.
     The Music Trade Review (56:12:35). M. Welte & Sons Studio (c.1912). Courtesy James Lewis.
     The Welte Philharmonic Organs, pub. by M. Welte & Sons (1913). Models II, III-A, IV-A, VI-B).
     Wurts Bros. (New York, N.Y.), ca. 1910. Exterior 273 Fifth Avenue. Collection of the Museum of the City of New York.
     Wurts Bros. (New York, N.Y.), 1927. Exterior 695 Fifth Avenue. Collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

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