Original Catalogue Specifications:
-
No
Philipps serial or work number noted.
- #870 noted on piano framework/sounding board.
- Revolver Mechanism (roll changer) #577
- Date or date code cast into piano harp: 14.1.10
- Integral case and chassis format, with animated scenic effects.
- Standard 6 station, friction drive revolver mechanism (roll
changer).
- Round belt/chain & sprocket reduction for feeder (pump) crankshaft.
- Pneumatic lock and cancel register controls.
- Uses Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.) or Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra rolls..
- Tracker Scale: Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.)
- Height: 10 ft.
Width: 6 ft. 7 in.
Depth: 3 ft. 6 in.
Shipping weight: 2000 lbs.
61 Note Musical Scale:
- Piano (61-note), with 47-note Mandolin attachment
- 42 Violas (30 wooden violin pipes with brass freins plus 12 wooden
violas with brass freins)
- 42 Violins (30 metal violins, or gamba, and 12 wooden violoncellos
with wooden rollers instead of freins)
- 30 Flutes (wooden harmonic flute pipes)
- Xylophone, 30 bars (reiterating action)
- Snare drum (reiterating action)
- Bass drum, with cymbal
- Kettle drum (tympani effect using two beaters)
- Triangle (reiterating action)
- Tambourine (reiterating action)
- Castanets (reiterating action)
Pipework Notes:
Wurlitzer, with its usual advertising zeal, would have represented this
Philipps orchestrion , which has the same exact pipework specifications as
the Wurlitzer 29-C Mandolin PianOrchestra (also manufactured by Philipps),
as having 30 violins; 30 violas; 24 Violoncellos; 12 piccolos and 18 flutes.
While this may be technically correct, depending upon your point of view,
this kind of "optimistic" definition infers that the machine possessed much
more musical capability than was actually the case. Instead of a whole
symphony orchestra filled with 84 string toned instruments, along with 12
piccolos and 18 flutes, all packed into the fancy furniture casework, there
were just three little ranks of pipes. Thus, the specification as stated by
Wurlitzer could be construed as misleading, unless you expect all of the
pipes in a particular rank to simultaneously sound a consecutive and
different note, which would tend to create a horrible cacophony of
non-musical noise. Nonetheless, in this special instance, you could honestly
say that any particular rank of pipes did represent as many actual musical
instruments, although it might be a painful sound to the ear.
Special Lighting Effects:
- Centered in the top center portion of the case is a animated scenic
effect, but not the one depicted in the catalogue illustration. It
consists of a alpine setting featuring a chalet and large waterfall. The
scene is painted on thin, vellum type paper, stretched over a wood
frame, much like a painter's canvas, and protected on the front side by
a sheet of glass. On the back side of the vellum paper, all portions of
the scene are blocked out with by an opaque black paint, except for
those areas of the scene where back lighting or special animation
effects are desired. Immediately behind transparent portions of the
scene, sturdily mounted to the chassis, is a wooden framework that
supports a series of electric light bulbs mounted in two vertically
spaced levels, and which are located between a pair of wide, wooden
rollers. When the instrument is operating, the soft warmth of the
electric lights illuminates portions of the scene from the backside. For
the waterfall effect, the two round-belt motivated wood rollers, which
support a continuous fabric belt made of a loosely woven material
similar to cheese cloth, are caused to move so that the belting facing
the scene is descending. Dabbed on the cloth belt are numerous elongated
splotches of thick black paint, which, due to the electric illumination
inside the cloth belt and its movement, give the effect of water
rippling over the waterfall. Enhancing the novelty of the animation, a
small rotating drum pinned to operate two or three mercury-pot type
electrical switches sequences the various electric lamps situated behind
the waterfall portion of the scene.
General Notes:
- This Pianella incorporates an uncomplicated vacuum expression
regulator mechanism that "softens" the volume of percussive instruments,
such as piano, xylophone, drums, et cetera. It operates in a simple
on-off fashion and is controlled by the Piano soft-pedal rail / swell
shutter on-off register controls. Thus, a degree of vacuum level
expression is provided, operating in tandem with the piano soft pedal
rail and the swell shutters installed in the roof of the machine.
- The musical compliment of this instrument was modified sometime
during its history, see history below.
Chronological History:
Circa 1910-11
Manufactured by J.D. Philipps & Son, Bockenheim, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
Circa 1910-12
Probably originally located in (East) Germany.
Sometime during its early history the instrument was modified, possibly
by a distributor or by the Philipps factory itself, using genuine Philipps
parts of the same vintage as originally installed components. Chimes (bells)
were added, and the original two-rank pipe chest was replaced with a
three-rank chest. The triangle was removed, and several components,
including some electrical wiring, were moved a bit to accommodate the larger
pipe chest. Altered electrical routing in the upper portion of the
orchestrion used fittings identical and/or similar to those used in
unmodified portions of the instrument.
A few possible reasons for modifying the orchestrion include:
- The orchestrion was traded in for a new, modern instrument. The old,
used machine was then refitted to make it more appealing and saleable.
- It was "musically upgraded" for its owner, perhaps as a much cheaper
alternative to buying a new instrument.
- It needed extensive rebuilding, and in addition to necessary
repairs, during the refurbishing, it was economical to add or exchange
certain components to extend the musical versatility of the orchestrion.
The modified and enhanced musical instrumentation essentially matched
that of a Wurlitzer 29-C Mandolin PianOrchestra, as follows:
- Piano (61-note), with Mandolin attachment
- 30 Violins (metal violin, or gamba)
- 30 Violas (wooden violin pipes with brass freins)
- 24 Violoncellos (12 wooden viola with brass freins & 12 wooden
violoncello pipes with wood rollers instead of freins)
- 12 Piccolos (wooden harmonic flute pipes)
- 18 Flutes (wooden harmonic flute pipes)
- Xylophone, 30 bars (reiterating action)
- Chimes, 13 bars (orchestra bells)
- Snare drum (reiterating action)
- Bass drum, with cymbal
- Kettle drum (tympani effect using two beaters)
- Tambourine (reiterating action)
- Castanets (reiterating action)
Oftentimes, when an instrument was altered after being in service for
many years, new components of a later vintage were commonly used. The use of
later style parts is usually very obvious, since they are generally quite
visibly different in design and construction, and are readily detected
without any need for in-depth study. There was no need nor interest in
having a machine look or be original, as with collectors restoring
historical instruments today. In the case of this particular orchestrion,
the fact that added components were of the same evolutionary vintage and
design could mean that the orchestrion was altered very early in its
history. But not necessarily, as the alteration could also have been done
twenty or more years after the instrument was first put in service, by a
distributor, for instance, who had many circa 1910-12 Philipps parts at
hand. Whatever the case, the changes to the instrument appear to have been
done by someone who had familiarity with Philipps machines, had appropriate
components available and who knew precisely how to accomplish the
conversion.
Circa 1974
Mekanisk Musik Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The
Model No. 40 (Celesta) Pianella was located in East Germany by Claes O.
Friberg of the Mekanisk Musik Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. Reportedly, it
was still in playing condition before its removal from East Germany. It was
offered for sale in the museum's catalogue, written by Dave Bowers and
mailed largely to American collectors. The instrument remained unsold,
however, and was shipped to the United States, along with an assortment of
other mechanical musical instruments, to be assembled and set up in Terry
Hathaway's Santa Monica, California, showroom.
Circa 1975
Terry Hathaway, Santa Monica, California.
The
Pianella was cleaned, assembled, and setup for display. A cursory inspection
was performed to determine the extent of the readily apparent modifications.
Two of the largest wood violoncello pipes had been crushed during shipment
to the United States, and the piano action had been lost, somewhere in
Europe. It is known that the piano action was present when Claes Friberg (of
the Mekanisk Musik Museum) discovered the instrument in East Germany. Claes
Friberg was immediately notified regarding the missing piano action, but
nothing beneficial came from anyone's efforts to locate it.
The furniture case was identical to that shown for the Pianella Model 40
(Celesta), known in America as the Wurlitzer style 40 Mandolin
PianOrchestra, but without the two decorative hanging lights. The subject of
the animated scene was different, too. Instead of an animated Roman
fountain, the scene depicted a charming mountain setting, featuring an
animated waterfall, alongside a colorful little chalet.
Modifications to the originally manufactured instrument, although easily
noticed, used original Philipps parts and electrical fittings in accordance
with what would have been expected if the instrument were manufactured in
its current configuration. However, the newly added vintage components and
adjustments to tubing manifolds were not as carefully aligned and installed
as with original Philipps construction. Screw holes and indentation shadows
from mounted components in the lower percussion shelf suggested the onetime
presence of a triangle action, which had been removed to make room for
re-routed electrical wiring required for the animated scene effects.
1975
Pease Collection, California.
Don Pease purchased the instrument in August of 1975. About one year
after its purchase, portions of the case were brought to my home in Santa Fe
Springs, where I assisted Don in repairing the base of the furniture case,
which appeared to have been damaged by water and much kicking at toe level,
badly denting and breaking down the fiber structure of the wood. The case
was then sent to John Gonzales, El Monte, California for refinishing.
After numerous attempts by Claes Friberg, Dave Bowers and Don Pease to
locate the original piano action, without any favorable results, a new piano
action was manufactured by the late Keith Hardesty, Whittier, California.
The piano action in the Wurlitzer style 30-A PianOrchestra from Salida,
Colorado (belonging to Terry Hathaway at the time) was used as a pattern.
Most of the needed action parts were standard stock items readily available
from German piano supply houses, and were similar or identical to materials
that would have been used for the original piano action. The whippens were
modified slightly to conform to the special needs of the pneumatically
operated piano. Items for which no similar materials were available,
mounting brackets, et cetera, were manufactured under the supervision of
myself or Keith Hardesty. I made the missing mandolin bar, also giving Don
replicated parts for a Philipps reiterating triangle action, replacing the
missing original unit.
The Pianella remained dismantled, the components stored in several
locations, with no further restoration work on the PianOrchestra completed
while in the Pease collection.
1998
Gilson Collection, Wisconsin.
The
meticulous reassembly and restoration of the interior mechanisms was
completed by Ron Cappel, Atascadero, California, in July of 2007, and the
machine was then shipped to join the rest of the Gilson collection at the
end of the month. The restoration job is spectacular in every respect, right
down to the frosted light bulbs adorning the front of the furniture case.
This is evidenced by the panel of color photographs that can be viewed by
clicking on the photograph at right.
