52 Key Verbeeck 'Amsterdam Girl' Street Organ at Cromford Steam Rally 2011

This 52 Key Verbeeck street organ created in the Dutch style and which goes by the name 'Amsterdam Girl' is heard here playing 'Bayerischer Polka' and 'Fidele Harmonica Speler', at the Cromford Steam Rally on 6th August 2011.

While looking very similar to the Dutch street organs or draaiorgels, this instrument lacks the large wheel for hand-turning books of music. It also appears to have some kind of electronic microswitch mounted next to the keyframe which presumably acts as a cutoff when the music book ends.
The organ does have a superbly decorative and painted front, along with nice figures.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• verbeeck
• amsterdam
• girl
• organ
• draaiorgel
• straat
• drehorgel
• fairground
• cromford
• rally
• 2011
• keyframe
• book
• music
• 52
• decorative
• front
• figures
• painted
• mechanical
• holland
• netherlands
• belgium

[petermackett37]

This organ has been much altered since it was built,it used to have a very prominent open flute register but this has now been altered so it only plays on it's own register and not in Forte,the xylophone was also added at the same time by Verbeeck,i met the current owner earlier this year.

[nickn5nl]

@petermackett37 Interesting information there. I think it has quite a pleasing sound - although the limitations of 52 become obvious on some books, depending who the arranger is. I've just been spoilt listening to all the Dutch organs in Veurne... :) BTW is the current owner Ken Juson?

[arburo1]

Dutch street organs on this scale traditionally do not have a cutoff key. If the book is allowed to pass right through at the end of the tune you get the organ blaring all notes. The owner has added an electrical micro-switch which will be connected to the keyframe drive motor so the keyframe stops when there is a couple of inches of music still in the keyframe. Dutch street organs are hand cranked so the operator will stop cranking at the end of the tune. The spare key can be reused.

[nickn5nl]

@arburo1 Many thanks for confirming my theory - I should have asked at the time but only spotted it on watching the video afterwards... Interestingly even the 92 Key 'De Hagenaar' doesn't have a cutoff key.

[thenardierlimonairre]

this is one of my all time favourite organs!

[oldbear52]

Thanks for sharing, Nick!!!

[petermackett37]

@Thijsie92 As i told Nick the organ has been substantially changed since it was built and the registration much altered,it used to have a Forte register that added open flute and Trombone but this has been changed to seperate registers so may have something to do with that.

[petermackett37]

@nickn5nl No,i can't remember the present owner's name but i know he bought it from Ken Juson,the original repetoire was mainly from Arthur Prinsen,the organ was originally built for David Ellison in Sussex,i still have a cassette of it and it sounds totally different!

[Thijsie92]

I can see trombones in the organ at the back, but they don't appear to be playing. Any ideas why?