The Barrel Organ Home Page

Jeff Vincent's research and history of Barrel Organs and Pianos

"Click here for a RealAudio clip of I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles.

"All I remember is the music, I don't know what tune it was, but an awful lot of melodies coming out of that little box; a lot of things going on at one time, from that little box. Just on a street corner, in an open space, on the ocean shore. Of course there was the monkey, tethered to the box, held on a stick by an old man, and then the memory fades. But the music..."

And that was the beginning, at the age of five, at Plymouth Rock of a life-long fascination I've held for barrel organs, commonly known as hurdy-gurdies or monkey organs.

Twenty years later I began to search for the perfect organ, (determined by the size, sound and tunes it plays). Following a lead from a dealer, I purchased my first organ in Philadelphia. I brought the organ home on the train. It was a typical monkey organ that sat for years in someone’s attic, neglected and forgotten, until the owner decided he needed the money. This organ, a Bacigalupo made in Germany with the barrels pinned by H.S. Taylor in New York City, was complete with three barrels, but inoperative. I was anxious to hear the tunes and their arrangements, so I immediately began to refurbish the instrument. After seven long days it began to sing:

"Silver Threads Among the Gold"
"Listen to the Mockingbird"
"Last Rose of Summer"
"The Star Spangled Banner"
and twenty-two more.

I have now had the priviledge of working with many of these instruments from around the world; each brings a unique set of challenges and the unique joy of hearing music just as it was laboriously captured by a musician and craftsman a century ago. I have created these pages to share with you the history and memories of these remarkable mechanical musical instruments.

Inside a Barrel Organ - the Details.

History of Barrel Organs and Pianos.

Featured Instrument - Pictures & Audio - Frequently Updated!

You may find out more about mechanical music at http://www.mbsi.org.

Thank you for visiting. Please come back again - I will feature sounds and pictures of barrel organs and pianos from around the world on these pages in the future.

Since December 24, 1996, this page has been visited times.

Last updated 7 January 1999

© 1996 Jeff Vincent gfvincent@geocities.com