A couple of weeks ago, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, I went yard sale-ing with Tinka and Boosha in Titusville. They go to yard sales and thrift stores every Saturday, buying for all their friends and family, and sometimes selling what they find on eBay. (They have great advice on that score, by the way).
I made a fabulous find — for a wonder, I actually saw it first, before either of my friends. A beautiful, early 20th century pump organ — still in working order, and worth at least $1,000.00 — and I bought it for a mere $150.00!!
The poor woman selling it had lost her job and was losing her home, and had to sell many of her treasured family heirlooms. This organ had been with her family for two grandmothers, and it broke her heart to part with it. But I have given it a good home where it will be loved and treasured. (I hope to have some video footage posted here soon).
We had a wonderful time opening up panels on the back and front. The back, once I had brushed out a century of dust and polished it up with Old English, revealed a patent seal on a wheel component dating the part to July, 1806.
There was a possibility the front panel might have hidden treasure — the woman who sold it to us realized, as we were loading the organ onto the truck, that she and her brother had missed that panel. When we asked them what they meant, she pointed out that in the 19th century, many families in the south had their houses taken from them because of the Civil War. Her family apparently had occasionally hidden money and other valuables in panels of furniture.
Even though we didn’t find anything (I thought even a scrap of sheet music or an old letter would be a great find), the excitement of anticipation was wonderful.
As it happens, we needed to open the panel anyway, to fix one of the foot pedals. When we first got the organ moved into position against the wall, I sat down to play a few notes and show my niece how a pump organ works. (”First you plug it in,” joked boyfriend Magus). I pressed the foot pedals until we heard the bellows starting to wheeze, and hit a few keys so she could hear it. But then the right foot pedal went flat. When we opened up the front panel we discovered that the straps attaching the pedals to the bellows were original (probably hemp), and one had snapped, rotten with age.
I’ve seen some interesting things in my life, but watching my boyfriend down on the floor, sewing two pieces of the pedal strap together, is going to go down as a treasured memory. (I think we have some of that on video, too).
Even though I won’t ever play it, because I don’t want to risk damaging it (e.g., breaking the clearly fragile straps), it is a gorgeous piece of furniture that I will treasure. I count myself incredibly lucky to have found such a lovely item at a yard sale for such a low price. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
My sister will be taking more pictures in daylight with a real camera (these were taken Monday evening, with Magus’ cell phone). As soon as we have better pictures with more detailed close ups, I’ll post them here. If anybody out there can give me more information about this piece, please add it to the comments here, or email me:
Shipman Organ Co., High Point NC (serial no.) 6094
I did some research and found out that company started doing business after the turn of the 20th century, under another name, and didn’t change the name to Shipman until the first factory burned down in 1911, so we know it’s early 20th century rather than 19th. But that’s all I’ve been able to find out about it. If anyone knows where I can use the serial number to get information about this piece, it would be greatly appreciated if you post such in the comments section, as well.
Thanks!
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