Gaudin & Cie. (Paris, France)

One of the absolute highlights of the Milhous Collection, this is the largest scale Gaudin organ known. During the 'teens, Gaudin focused on building fairground organs with elaborate carvings and exposed brass trumpet pipes. In the 1920s, they shifted their emphasis to elaborate dance organs.

This example was found in England mostly intact but with moisture damage. It underwent total restoration by the world-renowned fourth-generation organ expert Johnny Verbeeck and his staff in Belgium, replicating parts as necessary. The musical scale was extended to include a full rank of massive bronze carillon bells, the largest of which weighs about 600 pounds! Attention to detail is extraordinary—from the gold leaf to the four nine-foot tall gold statues. After restoration, Mr. Verbeeck installed the organ and has maintained it in its fine playing condition. It plays either cardboard book music or from a convenient MIDI player. With the organ are 16 very large cardboard music books and 142 MIDI files. The opportunity to acquire a Gaudin organ of this size and spectacular detail will likely never come again!

At one time these glorious organs were often used in traveling shows, including with companies that showed motion pictures in a tent behind the instrument. Playing a concert into a town square, a Gaudin organ would attract patrons from every direction. Today there are a number of musicians who arrange new music books for just about every style of organ that survives. This allows owners to have a fine collection of their favorite melodies old and new.

Reference: The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments by Q. David Bowers (p. 856).

Size: 32 ft. x 21 ft. x 11 ft.