The "American Orguinette"
Mechanical organettes were the first affordable instruments for the mass distribution of recorded music. They were made in (relatively) enormous quantities and in a great variety of styles, beginning in the late 1870s and continuing until superseded by the gramophone in the early 1900s.
The organette (or "orguinette") is basically a small reed organ for indoor (generally table-top) use. The sound is produced by a set of brass reeds, activated by pressure or suction from a hand-cranked bellows system. The music is recorded on paper sheets or rolls, cardboard disks, or pinned wooden rollers. The 14-note musical scale typically extends from A to F# (MIDI 57 to 78): A B C# D E F# G G# A B C# D E F#
The musical arrangements were often surprisingly effective, in spite of the very restricted scale. Listen to "Bonnie Louise" (MIDI file, 3kb), scanned and re-mastered from an original 14-note tune sheet from the early 1880's.
The "American Orguinette"
The illustration shows a typical 14-note "American Orguinette". These and similar instruments were produced in quantity by the Munroe Organ Reed Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, and were re-sold under a variety of brand names. This model measures 15" wide x 12" deep x 8" high, and weighs 7 pounds.
The block which holds the reeds is visible in the upper section of the case. The lower section contains the suction bellows and reservoir. The paper tune sheet acts as a valve, allowing air to be drawn through the reeds to sound the notes. The hinged cover can be opened or closed to vary the volume.
The "Royal Orguinette"
The top cover of this compact 14-note instrument is labelled "Royal Orguinette - by Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent".
The instrument measures 9" wide x 12" deep x 9" high, and weighs 7-1/2 pounds. A decorative pattern is cut into the sides of the mahogany-finished case. The British patent number is unknown, but the instrument is described in detail in US Patent 266914, issued to the Munroe Organ Reed Company in 1882.
An original tune sheet.
The 14-note tune sheet is 7-3/4 inches wide, and is made from heavy paper (or thin cardboard) about 0.008" thick. The note slots are 9/32" wide on 17/32" centres, with a margin of 9/32" at each side. A typical tune sheet is about 10 feet long and plays for about one minute.
This hymn tune was joined head-to-tail to form a continuous loop, so that several verses could be sung without a break.
The stamp of the Mechanical Orguinette Company on an original
tune sheet. The Broadway address was in use from 1880 to 1883.
Beginning of a template for a new 14-note roll, printed from a MIDI file
onto a dot-matrix printer, ready to be cut by hand. The original software
to generate the template was written in 1996.
Template for a new 14-note roll, generated by my daughter Anna when she
was six.