Original Catalogue Specifications:
-
No
observed Philipps serial or work number.
- Revolver Mechanism (roll changer) #865
- Date or date code cast into piano harp: 5.5.11.
- Integral case and chassis format, with detachable side wings.
- Standard 6 station, belt drive revolver mechanism (roll changer).
- Windmotor drive for forward music roll motion.
- 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. 10 in.
Width: 9 ft. 6 in.
Depth: 4 ft. 3 in.
Shipping weight: 3,000 lbs.
61 Note Musical Scale:
-
A
high grade (68-note) Piano, with Mandolin attachment
- 49 Violins (metal gamba pipes with freins or rollers)
- 19 Violoncellos (wood violoncello pipes with rollers)
- 30 Violas (wood viola pipes with brass freins)
- 30 Flutes (8 ft. wood harmonic flute pipes)
- 30 Piccolos (4 ft. wood harmonic flute pipes)
- 30 Clarinets (metal reed 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)
- Triangle (reiterating action)
- Tambourine (reiterating action)
- Castanets (reiterating action)
Notes:
- The lowest 7 piano notes are unison coupled.
- The circa 1910 Philipps catalog listed the Model 34 as also having
bassoon pipes, but no such reed pipe exists in this instrument, which is
the only know surviving specimen. The "bassoon" may be nothing more than
Philipps considering some of the bass violin pipes or the bass range of
the clarinet pipes to have a "bassoon" like quality.
- 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.
Chronological History:
Circa 1912/14
Manufactured by J.D. Philipps & Sons, Bockenheim, Frankfurt-am-Main,
Germany.
Circa 1914
Café Staalstra, Groningen, Holland.
About 1914 a Philipps Model 34 "Luxus" Pianella (occasionally designated
by Philipps as a "Silvia Xylophone"), and known in America as a Wurlitzer
style 34-A Mandolin PianOrchestra, was shipped to the Café Staalstra in
Groningen, Holland. The Café was a combination restaurant, beer, and dance
hall, a common type of establishment for Pianellas. Judging from the superb
condition of the instrument it probably played reasonably well into the
1950s.
1969
Terry Hathaway collection, Santa Fe Springs, California.
During the 1930s, when Philipps and other orchestrion makers closed their
doors, there was still a continuing demand for music rolls for instruments
sold earlier by these companies. One person who took advantage of this
opportunity was Eugene DeRoy, owner of the Symphonia Music Roll Co., in
Antwerp, Belgium. By 1968 there were few customers remaining for these rolls
anymore. However, due to the emergence of automatic musical instrument
collectors in America, and the growing interest in collecting large
orchestrions, Mr. DeRoy became active in locating machines to satisfy the
growing American collector's market. Since Mr. DeRoy still had his mailing
list of music roll customers, he sent out postcards to all the old addresses
on his list. Most of the postcards were returned undelivered by the post
office, but a few were answered, oftentimes with a terse comment such as
"the orchestrion was destroyed years ago."
In 1969, on a Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., business trip to Belgium, I, Terry
Hathaway, told Eugene DeRoy of my desire to locate a large Philipps
orchestrion, such as one like a Wurlitzer style 34-A orchestrion. Eugene
DeRoy immediately responded saying that "there were no more big machines,"
meaning that all the large orchestrions had already been discovered. I felt
very disappointed, and nothing more on the subject of a big Philipps machine
was said. Several months passed. Then, one morning, as I was sitting in my
office at Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., Dave Bowers walked in with a big smile on
his face. He tossed two black and white photographs on my desk, saying, "Mr.
DeRoy found this." My eyes fell immediately on the two photographs, while
Dave stood smiling, watching me intently. Astonished, eagerly picking up the
pictures, I scrutinized them carefully. They were exterior views of a
Philipps Pianella Model 34, with only a barest margin of the Café itself
visible, since the orchestrion occupied almost the entirety of the
photographs. Staring transfixed at the photographs, my eyes searching and
noting every tiny detail of the beautiful cabinetwork, I could see for
certain that the machine did, in fact, exist. The furniture case seemed to
be in excellent condition, with no apparent cobbling, such as was often the
case for orchestrions that survived into the late 1920s and 1930s, when
accordions were the rage and the cases were often butchered in order to
install and display an accordion attachment. But there was no indication of
the condition of the interior mechanisms, or what the interior actually
contained.
The
asking price translated into approximately $100,000, an absurd, unthinkably
high figure at that time, much too expensive for any real consideration. The
Staalstra's were firm on their price. They wanted the money to buy a new
home out in the country, and the Pianella was their ticket to do so, or so
it seemed. After a few fitful days I finally let go of ever being able to
own the machine, thinking that the instrument would never be affordable. It
stayed in my thoughts nonetheless, and I would enjoy looking at the
photographs frequently, wondering what it looked like inside. I still wanted
the instrument, even if it seemed impossible to ever possess it. After maybe
a month or so had passed, one morning, quite unexpectedly, a letter arrived
from Eugene DeRoy stating that the Staalstra's would sell the Pianella for
about $7,500 US funds. This rather extreme drop in price came as a complete
surprise, since no negotiations or words had transpired since declining the
original purchase option. Dave Bowers and I telephone Mr. DeRoy in Belgium
that same day, whereupon I agreed to the purchase price. Mr. DeRoy then went
to the Café Staalstra and bought the Pianella, taking the tracker bar and
music rolls as he departed, as was his custom when making a purchase. He
said that taking the tracker bar, music, and any other loose items helped to
prevent the seller from later changing their mind.
It was a happy day when the Model 34 Pianella arrived in Santa Fe
Springs, California. It was stored in the Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., shop for
cleaning and restoration. The interior of the machine was pristine, although
dirty from age. Minor repair work had been done over the years, as was
obvious, but nothing more. Unfortunately, though, after the instrument had
fallen idle, woodworms had gotten into the main chest, completely riddling
the three tiers containing the primary and secondary valves, destroying the
integrity of the wood almost completely. Thus, these complicated portions of
the main chest had to be replicated. Then, all the original, but rebuilt,
primary and secondary valves, plus various other uneaten wood parts, were
refitted to the essentially new main chest structure.
The pump was rebuilt by Tom Hozaki, a superb craftsman in rebuilding
pumps, using selected Kangaroo hide for its softness and exceptional
durability. The remainder of the restoration consisted of nothing more than
the usual refinishing of wood surfaces, replacement of cloth, leather, and
rubber parts and the minor repair of several metal viola pipes. The case was
originally finished in a dark oak color, and was refinished in a variation
of the silver-gray type of finish so popular with Wurlitzer PianOrchestras
during the 1908 to 1914 years.
The
restored Pianella Model 34 "Luxus" Pianella / Style 34-A Mandolin
PianOrchestra was premiered at my home in Santa Fe Springs in September of
1973. This evening event was attended by nearly 200 members of the Musical
Box Society International, the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors'
Association, and friends and acquaintances.
1979
Jerry Cohen collection, Studio City, California.
In
1979 the beautifully varied and extensive Cohen collection suffered a
disastrous fire, caused by a faulty wall mounted gas heater. After shoveling
out the ashes and remaining charred remnants of the once magnificent
collection, the music room was rebuilt, along with many added safety
precautions to prevent such a horrible reoccurrence. Taking center stage in
the newly rebuilt music room was the magnificent style 34-A Mandolin
PianOrchestra purchased from and restored by Terry Hathaway, which
instrument occupied the same central location in the collection that the
historic Wurlitzer Style 32-A Concert PianOrchestra had stood before and
during the terrible conflagration.
Many of the smaller items, such as rare a "Monopol Automat" automaton and
a Caille Roulette machine, which suffered less heat damage being close to
the floor and away from the intense inferno boiling near the ceiling,
survived with relatively little restoration work. Within a year, or soon
thereafter, the Cohen collection once again sparkled and entertained
visitors with the wonderful musical melodies of a bygone era. Sadly, many of
the collection's previous exhibits were missing, but new mechanical music
delights had taken their place and now adorned the walls and floor space of
the redecorated and much, much safer building.
Without question, Jerry Cohen loved his extensive collection of automatic
musical devices and related material, and he shared his collection,
excitement, and knowledge generously with mechanical music enthusiasts the
world over. Jerry Cohen passed away in November of 1990. Several months
later it was reluctantly decided to make his beloved collection available
for purchase, so that the joy Jerry created and had known could be passed on
to another generation.
1991
Sanfilippo collection, Illinois.
The impressive Philipps/Wurlitzer orchestrion was set up and occupied a
prominent location in the splendiferous Sanfilippo collection beginning in
March, of 1991. Here it again entertained visitors from around the world,
while standing alongside many other beautifully restored orchestrions of
equal majesty.
1998
Yaffe collection, Florida.
Although purchased and its ownership legally changed, the orchestrion was
never moved from the Sanfilippo collection location during the brief time it
was owned by Mr. Yaffe. This was, at least in part, due to the renovation
and construction effort to greatly enlarge Mr. Yaffe's residence, which left
him temporarily without any convenient place to safely store the big
machine, until construction on his residence was eventually completed. The
Pianella was sold before residence construction was completed.
1999
Gilson collection, Wisconsin.
The Pianella orchestrion was purchased and then moved to become part of
the extensive Gilson collection in December of 1999.
