This roller organ was made by the Munroe Reed Organ Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, around 1893-1897. It is a Mandolina model, with 20 free reeds that are vacuum operated. This roller organ plays 5-7/16" wide perforated paper rolls. It is pedal(2) and hand crank operated. Accessioned with 20 paper rolls made for a mandolina or celestina.
Mandolina models were made by the Monroe Organ Reed Company and distributed by the Mechanical Orguinette Company of New York, later becoming the Aeolian Company.
This barrel organ was made by George Hicks in Brooklyn, New York, around 1858-1862. It is a barrel organ, with 8 tunes. This instrument has a pinned wooden barrel, with 35 keys, and 35 pipes. This barrel organ is hand cranked. Tune selection is made by a pointer on a dial.
Programmed to play popular songs and dance tunes like waltzes and polkas, barrel organs were equipped with loud sounding wooden organ pipes to provide entertaining music outdoors. The name of the instrument comes from the wooden barrel with protruding pins that rotates as the crank is turned; each pin activates a note to be played. As the barrel rotates, the positioning of the pins determines the sequence of notes played and hence the melody produced by the 35 organ pipes. While portable barrel organs were popularly used on the 19th century city streets of America, the idea of a pinned barrel system came from 14th century European clock mechanisms and large 18th century church organs.
This roller organ was most likely made by the Autophone Company in Ithaca, New York, around 1885-1899. It is a Concert 20-note model, with 20 reeds and a hinged glass front cover. This roller organ plays a metal-pin-studded wooden cylinder also called a “cob.” A hand crank activates the vacuum bellows and turns the cylinder. When a pin in the roller comes in contact with the hinged end of one of the organ valves it causes the valve to lift, allowing air into the reed chamber and sounding the desired note. Printed paper directions are attached to the inside of the rear cover. Accessioned with 34 wooden rolls (1984.0843.01-.34). Stenciled on top of the roller organ:
This barrel organ was made by Johann Friemel in Vienna, Austria, 19th century. It is a barrel organ, with 5 tunes. This instrument has a pinned wooden barrel, and 38 free reeds and 38 sticker keys. It is activated by a hand crank. Printed on a paper label on bellows:
This roller organ roll was made by an undetermined maker in the United States, about 1885. It is roll #[ ] – [ ]. This roll is playable in 20-note roller organs.
This roller organ roll features U. S. Patent #333390, dated July 14, 1885, by Henry B. Morris for a barrel for mechanical musical instruments.
This barrel organ was made by Louis Dumont-Noirtin in France, around, 1795-1805. It is a barrel organ, with 12 tunes. This instrument has a pinned wooden barrel, 16 keys, and 48 pipes. This barrel organ is hand cranked and has three stops: all open pipes, 7 open and 9 closed pipes, and all closed pipes. There is a paper label on the cylinder with the maker’s name.
This roller organ was likely made by the Munroe Organ Reed Company in Worcester, Mashachusetts, about 1882. It was sold by the J. Howard Foote Company in New York and Chicago. It is a Clariona model, Serial #988252, made of walnut with 14 brass reeds. This instrument plays 8" wide perforated paper rolls and operates by a hand cranked vacuum system. Printed on a paper label:
THE REED-PIPE CLARIONA
This instrument features the following patents:
U. S. Patent #73080 dated January 7, 1868, by Jonas Berger for an improvement in key-coupling for musical instruments.
U. S. Patent #203257 dated May 7, 1878, by Merritt Gally for improvements in musical instruments. Reissue #8856 dated August 19, 1879.
U. S. Patent #222030 dated November 25, 1879, by Merritt Gally for improvements in musical instruments.
U. S. Patent #236275 dated January 4, 1881, by Frank Stone for improvements in valve devices for organ-bellows.
U. S. Patent #252844 dated January 24, 1882, by Henry B. Morris and Lucien A. Brott assignors to The Autophone Company for improvements in mechanical musical instruments.
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This make and style of reed pipe clariona as listed in an 1880s J. Howard Foote catalog, sold for $8.00.
This roller organ roll was likely made by the Munroe Organ Reed Company in Worcester, Mashachusetts, around 1880-1883. It was sold by the J. Howard Foote Company in New York and Chicago. It is a perforated Clariona roll, No. 19, 31 feet. The roll plays the following tunes:
Little Beauty Waltz Bella Waltz Home Waltz
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This Clariona roll (19) listed in an 1880s J. Howard Foote catalog, sold for $1.40.
This harmonica was made by an undetermined maker in Hong Kong, undetermined date. It is a phallus-shaped harmonica, with 10 double holes and an undetermined number of reeds. This harmonica has a yellow plastic comb with pink plastic cover plates adhered to the top and bottom.
This player harmonica was made by the PlaRola Corporation in Easton, Maryland, around 1931. It is a player harmonica with a painted metal body with picture of organ pipes and keyboard, 16 single holes and 32 reeds, metal sprocket, metal handle, and a metal mouth piece. The instruments is marked:
PlaRola ORGAN If you can breathe, you can Pla Rola
This instrument features U. S. Patent #1813337, dated July 7, 1931 by Martin D. Zimmerman and Henry Pullen.
This roller organ roll was likely made by the Munroe Organ Reed Company in Worcester, Mashachusetts, around 1880-1883. It was sold by the J. Howard Foote Company in New York and Chicago. It is a perforated paper Clariona roll, No. 15, 19-3/4 feet. The roll plays the following tunes:
Watch on the Rhine Tramp, Tramp, Tramp Home Sweet Home Yankee Doodle
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This Clariona roll (#15) listed in an 1880s J. Howard Foote catalog, sold for 90 cents.
This harmonica was made by the Nor-Cos Corporation in Easton, Maryland, about 1954. It is a Pocket Player model with a built in harmonica with 16 single holes and 32 reeds, and plays a perforated paper roll. This harmonica and outer case are made of red molded plastic. The outer case has a mouth piece, 2 sprockets, and two 2 handles. Accessioned with storage box, 3 song rolls, and a sheet of instructions. It is cast:
NOR-COS POCKET ORGAN
This harmonic features U.S. Patent #2694333, dated November 16, 1954, by Vincent A. Costello assignor to the Nor-Cos Corporation.
This harmonica was made by the Nor-Cos Corporation in Easton, Maryland, about 1954. It is a Pocket Player model with a built in harmonica with 16 single holes and 32 reeds, and plays a perforated paper roll. This harmonica and outer case are made of red molded plastic. The outer case has a mouth piece, 2 sprockets, and two 2 handles. Accessioned with original storage box, 3 song rolls, and a sheet of instructions. It is cast:
NOR-COS POCKET ORGAN
This harmonic features U.S. Patent #2694333, dated November 16, 1954, by Vincent A. Costello assignor to the Nor-Cos Corporation.
Manual for teaching Diversified Games and Activities for Low Organization for Mentally Retarded Children, given to Mary Hammerbacher (Manner) as a counselor at Camp Shriver, 1962.
Camp Shriver began in Eunice Shriver’s backyard at her Timberlawn estate in 1962. Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and Rose, an intellectually disabled sister, decided to hold a day camp for intellectually disabled kids from DC and Maryland. The high school age counselors were taught how to teach the campers different skills through play and introduced them to horseback riding, swimming, canoeing and group games, many of the campers experiencing these activities for the first time. Camp Shriver continued each summer until 1968 when the first Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago which has grown into the largest organization for intellectually disabled athletes in the world. Mary Hammerbacher (Manner) applied to be a volunteer at the camp through her parochial high school and worked there from 1962-1967.
From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, to the first international games in 1968, Special Olympics has been about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sport. This participation builds confidence, provides emotional support and offers social opportunities for the athletes and their families. With state chapters and a global presence through its World Games, “Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities with 5 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide.”
