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Did you know..? The loudest stop on the Midmer-Losh organ is the Grand Ophicleide. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, it's the loudest organ stop in the world and its "ear-splitting volume" is "six times louder than the loudest locomotive whistle"! Fortunately, that volume is refined somewhat by the vast auditorium. Nevertheless, it's certainly an attention-grabber of a stop that puts its message across.
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Likewise, ACCHOS puts its message across through the Grand Ophicleide magazine, which is sent to members (by e-mail) six times-a-year. It's packed with news, views, photos, and information. Many past issues are viewable on-line via the links below (Adobe Acrobat reader required – click here to download).
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PAST GRAND OPHICLEIDE JOURNALS
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MARCH 2011
The Kimball organ's blowers are working and wind is now available for the instrument. Re-installation of the console is next on the agenda. |
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OCTOBER 2010
The Kimball organ's console is now back at Boardwalk Hall and is temporarily on display alongside the Midmer-Losh's five-manual in the building's lobby. |
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SEPTEMBER 2010
The console of the Kimball organ has been restored and plans are being made to return it to its balcony in the Ballroom. The instrument will then be tuned and regulated and made "performance-ready". Discussions are underway about a re-dedication concert in 2011. |
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| The Midmer-Losh organ's Swell department, in the Left Stage chamber, has been removed - pipes, chests, everything. The chests will be sent out for restoration, while the pipes will probably be dealt with in-house. |
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| New, specially-designed magnets have been ordered from Klann Organ Supply Co. These will replace the existing magnets in the Right Stage chamber, in the hope of eliminating the majority of dead notes. The 96 stops/132 ranks in this chamber will then be given a thorough tuning. |
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| Tours of the organs are more popular than ever, with inceasing numbers of people wishing to see the inner workings of the World's Largest Organ. To view the tour dates through to the end of the year, click here. |
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APRIL 2010
More past editions of The Grand Ophicleide magazine are now available on-line, the most recent being Issue 40, which dates from 2008. For earlier issues, click here. |
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SEPTEMBER 2009
The Ballroom Kimball is on the way to its re-dedication. The new solid-state relay has been installed and the main Spencer blower has been completely restored. The console is in Reno, Nevada, being restored by console master Ken Crome. It should be back at Boardwalk Hall in 2010. |
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| Bi-monthly tours have become a very popular activity at Boardwalk Hall. Led by ACCHOS Board Member Harry Bellangy, the two-hour tours are delighting all who attend. On April 20, 2009, the entire organ class from The Royal Academy of Music in Denmark made a special trip to America to see the 'big organ'. The students were delighted when the Midmer-Losh was turned on – as it is now for most tours. |
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OCTOBER 2008
The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc. has approved contracts for several major portions of the Ballroom's Kimball organ. A new solid-state relay system has been ordered and delivery is expected soon. The console will be lifted out of its balcony position and sent out for professional restoration. It is hoped that the instrument will be playable again by the end of 2009. |
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| The Midmer-Losh organ is receiving a great deal of attention. The Right Stage chamber is working but not fully so. A number of small solenoid valves that control airflow to individual pipes need replacement and the cost for these parts is being investigated. Six of the seven blowers are now back in operation. The seventh is awaiting repair work on its motor. |
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| The condition of the Midmer-Losh wind chests is being investigated. Chests in various parts of the organ are being opened up and inspected to determine how much of the organ was rebuilt in the past, and to see how much of the original leather is retained. Procedures are being developed for their restoration that will include some challenging rigging operations to get the chests in and out of the chambers. The first divisions to be rebuilt will probably be the Swell and Swell-Choir, in the Left Stage Chamber. |
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| The Organ Shop, sited behind the Right Stge Chamber, is gradually being transformed from a room full of unrelated materials accumulated over the years into a space focused on restoration work. Tools and machinery needed for the numerous organ-related tasks are being introduced. |
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PRESS RELEASE – FEBRUARY 28, 2008
Four spectacular navigable panoramic images of the Boardwalk Hall organs and their respective spaces have been added to the Gallery section. |
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PRESS RELEASE – JUNE 11, 2007
The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc. has announced the appointment of Carl Loeser, a New Jersey native from Plainfield, as the new Curator of Organs at Boardwalk Hall. He brings a variety of expertise and experience to the position, having worked in the pipe organ field for 30 years. His responsibilities will be to oversee the restoration of the 449-rank Midmer-Losh pipe organ in the Main Auditorium and the 55-rank Kimball in the Ballroom. |
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PRESS RELEASE – DECEMBER 14, 2006
The historically significant Midmer-Losh pipe organ in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, has received one of the nation's most prestigious awards. A "Save America's Treasures" grant of $100,000 has been awarded in recognition of the world's largest pipe organ and the on-going mission to restore it to its former glory. |
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HISTORIC CITATIONS
On October 26, 2004, the Organ Historical Society presented two Historic Citations, one for each pipe organ in Boardwalk Hall during a formal ceremony held on the stage in the Main Auditorium. Members of ACCHOS and the Historic Organ Restoration Committee were present and the general public was also invited. The event was videotaped and portions appear on the ACCHOS DVD (for details, click here). |
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THE HISTORIC ORGAN RESTORATION COMMITTEE, INC.
This new organization has been established in New Jersey as a non-profit company to oversee the funding and restoration of the pipe organs in Boardwalk Hall. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has established a special account with $1.17 million available to start the process. The Board of Directors of ACCHOS have recommended dividing the initial funds between full restoration of the Ballroom Kimball and returning the Right Stage Chamber of the Midmer-Losh to the playable condition existing in 1998 prior to Hall's renovation. |
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HALL GETS A NEW NAME
Known as the Atlantic City Convention Hall since its construction in 1926, this venerable building is now officially called Boardwalk Hall, after the world-famous Boardwalk on which it is sited. The organs still bear plates that read "Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ". |
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