The history of the show-land organ is a long one.
An early reference appeared in “The Illustrated London News” of 1846.
The entry reads ”…..here comes a Monster Street Organ to add to our daily torture.
…..It is from the prolific manufactory of Gavioli of Modena…drawn by a real horse and requiring two men to develop its orchestral resources…..How hard do the men labour in their vocation! How well does the Italian maker comprehend public taste.
He gives us plenty of parchment and brass….you will revel in revolving cylinders…in the Monster Organ a shoal of needles”
The final words indicate that this was indeed a barrel organ.
Our earliest Fair organs were true barrel organs in which the keys, coupled to various pipes, were depressed by several thousands of pins and short loops (for sustained notes) all set in a revolving barrel.
This is the principle of the old musical boxes and Street Pianos.
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