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E. J. Quinby, Summit, NJ
(some undefined number of total words in this text)
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Möller's Opus 6239, a three manual, six rank instrument, was built for E. J. Quinby. It was initially installed in New York City, but saw a few moves as the excerpt below describes. At a later time, the original instrument was substantially augmented. The specification was taken from a copy of the Kinura Theatre Organ Digest, and appears to have a few errors in it.
The only image I have...
(click the image for a bigger version)
from "The M.P.Moller Empire", E.J. Quinby, USN (Ret.), published in "The Console", Feb. 1978.
The three manual console "included preparations for future additions"
Locations:
1) New York, NY.
"We installed the organ in an old 'brownstone front' dwelling on East 58th street in Manhattan. The console was in the front parlor, and the organ itself was in the dining room to the rear. The Swell shades were in the aperture for the sliding doors between those two compartments"
2) Key West, FL.
"...I received my invitation from Uncle Sam to report for active duty at the Naval Base in Key West, Florida. I was entitled to government transportation for myself, my wife and my household effects. I had to fill out a form for the information of contractors who would bid on the job of moving our things to Key West. There were blank spaces for me to list the number of boxes of books, the number of barrels of china, the number of chairs tables, beds, etc. Ah! There was a space for a piano. I crossed out that word and entered Organ instead. Then I awaited developments. I didn't have long to wait before I was summoned before the Commandant at Brooklyn Navy Yard who was about to blow his stack over what the contractors had reported after inspecting our premises. "After all, Ensign Quinby," he barked, "if you were an Admiral..."
In the end, the Navy arranged to forward our other personal effects, and I had to pay for transporting the organ myself. But I betcha I'm the only Naval Reserve Officer who took a pipe organ with him on active duty in World War II. It promptly became the Southernmost organ in the United States!"
3) Studio at Carnegie Hall, NY
"After the war, we found a refuge for our precious instrument in studios at Carnegie Hall, where its voices contributed to the general din that was created by various vocalists and instrumentalists, including a millionaire who retreated to a studio above us to practice on his musical saw"
4) Summit, NJ. (and comments on the expansion of the original instrument)
"Now our much travelled Moller Opus 6239 has come to rest at last in the former Coach House at Summit, New Jersey which we acquired to provide a permanent home for this expanding project.
Through the years it has grown to include over 1,000 pipes, and a variety of percussions and traps when we added the whole organ from the State Theatre of Orange, N.J.** and a set of gorgeous Tibias made to order for us by some of the veteran artisans in the Moller plant, with middle-register pipes that are practically cubes. We have learned to avoid proclaiming that the end has been reached. The main floor of our establishment is devoted to the organ, while we roost in the upper region. Daisybelle fortunately shares my enthusiasm for this madness, so there is no prospect of rebellion or divorce.
In March 2010, an ad placed on Craigslist revealed that the organ was still in place and needed to be disposed of. Nearly 30 years after Quinby's death (Nov. 1981) the organ was still in the coach house, though it had deteriorated and was no longer in playable condition.
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* Moller opus 6239 does not appear in Junchen, Vol. 1, possibly because it wasn't a theatre organ.
** "State Theatre, Orange, NJ." - from the United States opus list in Junchen Vol. 2, the closest match is: Opus 204, State Theatre, West Orange, NJ. a 2/8 from 1928. In the Remarks column: "Rebuild existing Moller Opus 3346."
The following stoplist was originally published in Kinura Theatre Organ Digest , Vol. I, No. 21; Jan 15, 1956; pages 304-305
PEDAL
16 Bourdon (G)
16 Bourdon (S)
8 Diapason (G)
8 Diapason (S)
8 Flute (G)
8 Flute (S)
8 Tibia (C)
8 Tibia Clausa (C)
8 Viola (G)
8 Viola (C)
8 Cello (S)
4 Flute (S)
4 Orch. Flute (C)
8 Trumpet (C)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
GREAT
16 Bourdon
8 Diapason (85)
8 Concert Flute
8 Chimney Flute (97)
8 Viola Dolce (73)
8 Unda Maris
4 Octave
4 Concert Flute
4 Chimney Flute
4 Viole
2-2/3 Twelfth
2 Flautina
8 Oboe (61)
Tremulant
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
SWELL
16 Diapason (tc)
16 Bourdon
8 Diapason (73)
8 Concert Flute (97)
8 Violin Celeste (73)
4 Orchestral Flute
4 Celeste
4 Celestina (maybe 2'?)
2-2/3 Nazard
2 Piccolo
1-3/5 Tierce
8 Vox Humana (61)
Chrysoglott (49)
Orch. Bells (37)
Xylophone (37)
Tremulant
Vox Tremulant
CHOIR
16 Tibia (tc)
16 Violina (tc)
8 Tibia (73)
8 Tibia Clausa (85)
8 Violin (73)
8 Unda Maris
4 Tibia Clausa
4 Piccolo
4 Violina
2-2/3 Tibia Clausa
2 Pfeife
8 Trumpet (73)
8 Kinura (61)
4 Clarion
Chimes (20)
Tremulant
Tibia Tremulant
Combination action
6 to Great
5 to Swell
5 to Choir
4 to Tutti (i.e., Generals)
Full Organ
Great to Pedal reversible
"Traps 22 - Chinese Gong. Triangle"
I don't know whether "22" should be --2--, or that there were 20 more traps not listed.
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