Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ- Is it Military? SOLVED

[Bigcypresshunter]

I bought this at a garage sale for $10. It is a Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ, A.L. White Mfg. Co. Chicago U.S.A. I didnt unfold it for the picture because it is delicate and coming apart on the bottom. I guess this is what the whole organ looks like (portable version) that has reeds everyone is finding. It has an airbag inside and two foot pedals to pump up the bag with. The bag appears to be rotten. The brass reeds look good.
My question is could this be a military version from WWI? The color makes me think that it could have been used by a chaplain. Is it worth repairing or restoring?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

Possible. Here is an excerpt from a Hattiesburgh YMCA's records on file at the University of Southern Mississippi.

http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m268.htm?m268text.htm~mainFrame

Accession Number: AM 2000-113

Dates: ca. 1920s, ca. 1940s

Volume: ca. 50 cubic feet

Provenance: Donated by Dr. Michael Gandy.

Copyright: This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

Form of Material:

The accession comprises:

6"x3' wooden plank sign from a cabin at Camp Dantzler. The sign, which dates from the 1940s, reads "Victor M. Scanlan & Wife Katherine Selby Scanlan". It was salvaged after Hurricane Camille destroyed the cabin in 1969.
Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ used in religious services conducted by the YMCA during the 1920s. Services were held at local lumber companies, such as the J. J. Newman Lumber Company in Hattiesburg.

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

yes, I believe so:
http://www.reedsoc.org/organs/whitefolding.htm
Don.....

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

Thanks. It was just a wild guess. "Liberty" also sounds like a word used during the war. It appears this may have been made for or used during WWI!
I wonder what its worth?

I found a serial number 89240. Maybe this will help date the organ?

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

Here's a pic of an ondeck Naval ceremony using one.
http://organeer.com/esteychaplain.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

That even looks like the color. Someone may have painted it blue but I see it says U.S. under the left keys.
I see it was used in WWII also.

 

[justine093]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

that's pretty cool.
for $10. I would have needed to have it too!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

The reeds people have been finding are not off of a keyboard instrument--they are off a CW-era favorite called a "squeeze box" or "concertina." As a musician, I used to think people were crazy when they ID'ed things as "organ reeds" because for me, the organ is a keyboard instrument with pedals, pipes, and air bellows to drive it. So really these are concertina reeds. Here's a photo of the instrument:




http://www.musicwithease.com/concertina-pictures.html


Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Liberty Pipetone Folding Organ

Thanks for clearing that up.

I think there may be a way of identifying the date of manuf. of this reed organ more precisely by the serial number posted. I will search. But it appears to be before 1920.