Harmonium


Photo Information
Shot in Sille, a small village of Konya.The organ is displayed in the former Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Elenia (Saint Helen) of Sille which is restored recently and made to serve as a museum by the Konya Municipality. Although organs are not used in Orthodox churches, the last priest of the church entrusted it to a Turkish family living in Sille at the time whenTurkey and Greece decided to exchange population based on religion. After 1924, virtually all the Greek Orthodox population (even if speaking a dialect of Turkish) left the village.
Sille was one of the few villages where the Karamanli Turkish language (whose vocabulary drew overwhelmingly from Turkic words, but was written with the Greek alphabet) was spoken until the population swap between Greece and Turkey in 1923. The instrument was made in 1882 an American company named Mason and Hamlin. Thanks to Russell (RussV), I learned that the company is still producing instruments and it is based in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
I also want to add what I've got from Bill (woolybill1) from EPZ to make the info complete about this little instrument :
This unusual organ is what we call a harmonium, reed-organ or (horrible word that is new to me) pump organ; there is also an 'American organ' that functions slightly differently. The pedals pump air through metal reeds such as are found in a melodeon or an accordion or mouth-organ (harmonica). Harmoniums were once often to be found in small country churches which could not justify the expense of a pipe organ. But most harmoniums I have seen (and played) have been enormous; this one is very tiny, a three-octave range being just sufficient to cover 'normal' choral hymn-singing. It is rather pretty too! I have traced the makers who I think were American rather than English (not unusual in the 19th century for such firms to be international)
24/09/2013 - 00:37nonur
CategoryPhoto Journalism
Shutter Speed1/10
Aperturef/4.5
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ISO2500
Focal Length24.38mm
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GIULIO57

Link Posted 24/09/2013 - 07:07
Interesting...Behind everything(even photos) always lives an History
PPG

RussV

Link Posted 24/09/2013 - 08:47
An interesting picture and story. I did a little research on the web and 'Mason and Hamlin' still exist, they are an American company and still based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. That organ was manufactured in the 19th century.
www.russv.me.uk

Blaze

Link Posted 24/09/2013 - 09:08
What a lovely shot, pretty organ and interesting history. My first thought was that it looked English - the marquetry is beautiful. How fortunate that it has remained intact after all the changes it must have seen !

Teaka53

Link Posted 24/09/2013 - 09:55
What a fantastic piece of history. I had two great aunts that had one of these a let play on it, memories.....
Malc

trixie

Link Posted 24/09/2013 - 11:23
It really is a beautiful piece of history a lovely organ to play, it looks really wellcared for and i hope someone will play it , it should be played.


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