Atlantic City Convention Hall Pipe Organ - Hess Collection HQ

In 1986, organ restorer and historian Nelson Barden discovered a lost collection of Convention Hall Organ construction photos in an Atlantic City photography studio. He donated the photographs to The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ Society (ACCHOS). This video montage of Ferdinand Hess' photographs of the construction of the great Atlantic City Convention Hall pipe organ is a special feature from the The Senator's Masterpiece DVD. To order your DVD copy of this 55-minute documentary complete with other Special Features and more visit The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ Society or The Organ Historical Society at:

http://www.ohscatalog.com/atciordvd.html
http://www.ACCHOS.org
http://www.OrganSociety.org

For information about the producer please visit:
http://www.VicFerrerProductions.com

© 2006 Vic Ferrer Productions

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Atlantic
• City
• Convention
• Hall
• Organ
• Boardwalk
• Nelson
• Barden
• Emerson
• Richards
• Midmer-Losh
• Jack
• Bethards
• Historical
• Society
• Vic
• Ferrer
• ACCHOS
• OHS
• Ferdinand
• Hess
• photography
• Scott
• Huntington

[flyurway]

Very nice video. What a masterpiece of engineering, I can't even begin to imagine the 100's of miles of wiring for the relays and combination actions - just for starters. Does anyone know the prognosis of this behemouth ever acheiving even close to 100%? Pretty doubtful I'd think considering it never even has been, but it would be something to see. Sorry though, but that is one butt ugly main console! :)

[Blahbevava]

Something So Magnificent during this era! The Visual Art Deco, The Electric Age of Technology And the mysterious Transitional Gateway Into the Modern World!! The First Time in many ways Man-Kind was successfully able to defy Nature, Sickness, and the Darkness Of The Night!! It brings tears to my eyes when I hear the Brilliant sound of this organ shine as it is like the sound of that defiance and Joy of those voices all crying out against that darkness that we are all now free from!!

[poopingeneral]

@MultiBlue75 how long did the tour take, and did you get to play it? oh and how loud was it?

[MultiBlue75]

The larger organ is currently under restoration. I took a private tour of both organs and I was able to hear both. The larger organ's right side has issues(mostly tuning and leaking issues)but is playable. Money is tight and it takes alot of time to get things done. The left stage chamber has a huge portion removed and is being restored right now. The Curator said it will be awhile for it to be restored. However, the smaller organ is almost completely restored and sounds good.

[Chefpavel]

I remember hearing this organ as a very young child (1950s) and being amazed at the power and seemingly endless reverb in the massive space. It is pitiful that it has fallen into such disrepair. A roof replacement could have saved most of the water-damaged chambers that now will cost 20 times what a new roof could have prevented.

I find subtle irony in that the two largest pipe organs in the world are within 60 miles of each other. Was it to compete with the Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia?

[noteworthy99]

Thank you for posting such an interesting video.The concept and the construction of this instrument from the pictures are really remarkable. The technical complexity, skills involved and scale of labour involved just fantastic. Kept a lot of men in a job. It is also a grand sounding instrument. No one is ever going to top this one. They just don’t make them like this anymore. The ingenuity of man put to good purpose. Long may it be supported.

[321pocoyo]

@nexgenhippy Thank you, that's a quite interesting mechanism!

[nexgenhippy]

@321pocoyo best idea is to google 'pipe organ combination action', as its quite complex, theres a wikipedia page on it among other things.

[321pocoyo]

How a mechanical system can "remember" the stops combination?

[paulbrockenhagen]

The intro was very similar to a dream I had of finding an old weather organ in a shed. I knew this organ was large but had know idea how so untill I watched this video. I belive when I visit in person I will again be blown away. Excellent post.