THE MAIN AUDITORIUM ORGAN
by Stephen D. Smith
The instrument in the main auditorium was built between May, 1929, and December, 1932, by the Midmer-Losh Organ Company of Merrick, Long Island, New York, to designs by Emerson L. Richards, a native of Atlantic City and State Senator for Atlantic County.
There are two consoles; one of seven-manuals (located to the right of the stage)
and a mobile with five-manuals (now disconnected and displayed in the building's foyer).
The pipework is contained in eight chambers which are positioned, in opposite pairs, on the left and right sides of the auditorium.
Although officially recognised by The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest pipe organ and the biggest and loudest musical instrument ever constructed, the exact number of pipes is unknown. The 'official' figure is 33,112, but most authorities on the subject think the number is more likely to be in the region of 32,000-plus.
The Pedal organ's Major Posaune rank has only 44 pipes, instead of the planned 85, and a number of duplicate non-melodic percussions were not installed, but claims that whole stops were ommitted from the scheme have not be proven. Indeed, the available evidence suggests that the instrument was completed (e.g. a restoration estimate mentions bent pipes, warped chests, perishing leather, etc. but does not mention any missing stops). A recent survey of the Wanamaker organ revealed that some stops which were thought to have 73 pipes per rank, in actuality, possessed only 61 – and it may be the case that similar discoveries will, in time, be made about the Auditorium organ.
Click on the Console to continue to the Stop List