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Lot 725

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c. 1933 Warnies Dutch Street Organ

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OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Restored by master mechanical organ expert Johnny Verbeeck, this Dutch street organ has approximately 70 keys. It remains in excellent condition, playing either from cardboard books or a digital MIDI player.

Leon Warnies, a Belgian who was blind, established a street organ rental agency in Amsterdam circa 1875, according to Romke de Waard's book From Music Boxes to Street Organs. His first instruments used pinned wooden cylinders. Then in 1902 he introduced the book-played organ, as here, into Holland. He passed away in the same year.

The Dutch street organ has been popular for a long time, and today some superb examples can still be seen in use on special occasions. 150x108x48 inches.

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