This is one of the largest instruments in The Musical Museum's collection. It arrived in 1966 direct from Imhof's New Oxford Street showrooms where it had been housed for many years. It was made in 1899 and was originally one of two instruments that the firm had kept as part of its historic involvement in the manufacture of top-of-the-range music making machines.
Constructed by Vohrenbach in Germany, it contains the following pipe ranks:-
Doppel Flute (stopped wood)
Trumpet (brass)
Diapason (wood)
Salicional (string)(metal)
Reed (wood with metal tops)
A brass plate on the front reads:-
"Imhof & Mukle
by appointment to Her Majesty The Queen
110 New Oxford Street
London WC
WORKS Vohrenbach Baden"
The instrument came with 46 rolls of music each in a special wooden cassette. It is driven by an early 110 volt dc motor that has attracted much attention as it could be one of the oldest electric motors still working.
We have two other Imhof & Mukle orchestrions in the collection but neither is in playing condition at the present time.
Click here to listen to this instrument in action. (MP3 File 1.6MB) taken from "Out of the Attic" cassette available from the Museum Shop.
