Harmonium
The harmonium is the European name for a free reed keyboard instrument commonly known as a pump organ in the United States. This instrument, with an abbreviated keyboard range, utilizes pedals on what looks like a typical piano pedal lyre to pump the bellows.
Technical description: Rectangular walnut-veneer case on four turned legs with tapered octagonal shafts; lid of four separately hinged pieces, one of which forms a concave curve over keyboard; music rack hinged to panel covered with rose-colored silk placed behind keyboard, above windchest; two wood pedals in lyre pump two square bellows below windchest; one set of brass free reeds individually screwed to four brass plates mounted in windchest below keyboard; bottom of each keytail, covered with leather, serves as a pallet valve; keys are returned by springs attached to batten over back of keyboard; entire keyboard and mechanism hinges forward when not secured by two hooks behind keybed; three handstops over keyboard, L to R: (bass) FORTE, EXPRESSION, (treble) FORTE; when pulled out, each forte stop opens an oblong slot in wool-lined tray over windchest; expression stop, when pushed in, causes a pawl to depress a panel that allows wind to escape from chest; keyboard compass CC-f3, bone naturals, ebony accidentals.
Technical description: Rectangular walnut-veneer case on four turned legs with tapered octagonal shafts; lid of four separately hinged pieces, one of which forms a concave curve over keyboard; music rack hinged to panel covered with rose-colored silk placed behind keyboard, above windchest; two wood pedals in lyre pump two square bellows below windchest; one set of brass free reeds individually screwed to four brass plates mounted in windchest below keyboard; bottom of each keytail, covered with leather, serves as a pallet valve; keys are returned by springs attached to batten over back of keyboard; entire keyboard and mechanism hinges forward when not secured by two hooks behind keybed; three handstops over keyboard, L to R: (bass) FORTE, EXPRESSION, (treble) FORTE; when pulled out, each forte stop opens an oblong slot in wool-lined tray over windchest; expression stop, when pushed in, causes a pawl to depress a panel that allows wind to escape from chest; keyboard compass CC-f3, bone naturals, ebony accidentals.
Artwork Details
- Title: Harmonium
- Maker: F. Kaufmann & Sohn (German)
- Maker: Ph. I. Trayser & Co. (German)
- Date: mid-19th century
- Geography: Dresden/Stuttgart?, Germany
- Culture: German
- Medium: Wood, various materials
- Classification: Aerophone-Free Reed-harmonium
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.3553
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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