Not currently on display at the V&A

Barrel Organ

1790 - 1795 (Made)
Artist/Maker
Longman & Broderip (Made)
Place of origin
London (Made)

Barrel organs were fitted with organ pipes and bellows, and wound with a crank-handle, which rotated a wooden cylinder or 'barrel' and pumped air as well as controlling its supply to the individual pipes. This process enabled different tunes to be played, and this example originally had four barrels, playing 10 tunes each. Barrel organs provided dance music and even hymns for services in domestic chapels. Longman & Broderip, who made this example, traded under that name from 1776 until 1795, when they finally went bankrupt.


Object details

Category
Musical Instruments
Object type
Barrel organ
Parts
This object consists of 7 parts.

  • Barrel Organ
  • Stand
  • Sliding Door
  • Barrel Organ
  • Barrel Organ
  • Barrel
  • Barrel
Materials and techniques
Joined, planed and varnished mahogany with painted front panel.
Mahogany
Paint
Planing
Joining
Painting
Brief description
Mahogany case, with a painted front panel, Longman & Broderip, London, English, 1790-1795.
Physical description
"Mahogany with a nineteenth century painting [most likely of Terpsichore, the Muse of singing and dancing, holding her customary garland of flowers] in the position formerly occupied by a front panel of dummy pipes. Two barrels in existence; but inside the lid a list of four barrels with ten tunes each. [These are listed on the inside of the lid]. Specification: stopped diapason and principal." Raymond Russell Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments (London, 1968), p. 70.
Dimensions
  • Height: 162.5cm
  • Depth: 54.5cm
  • Width: 61cm
Measurements taken from Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), p. 70.
Marks and inscriptions
  • Barrel 1. The Soldier's (joy). Astly's Hornpipe. The Charms of the Fair. The New Forest Hunt. Hark Hark ye (joy inspire horn). The top sails shiver in the wind. When Wm and Eve meet me. Col. Reed's Minuet. Diordani's Minuet. (1st of 4 hand-written lists written on the inside of the lid.)
  • Young Robin was a Shepherd. Jemmy and Jenny's farewell. Saw you my father, saw you ... How sweet is your (hands) [sic] Shepherds I have lost my (love). Malbrook. German Spa Dance. Spinning Wheel. The Lord my Pasture. Glory to thee my God this night. (2nd of 4 hand-written lists written on the inside of the lid.)
  • Barrel 3. All 'a' day my poor (Mary) Count Almadover's Minuet. The Merry (Danube). The Court Minuet. Ma chere Amia. Dans Votre Lit. I ask not beauty quite (complete). Jenny Sutton. Chelmsford Races. La Bella Catherina. (3rd of 4 hand-written lists written on the inside of the lid.)
  • Molly put the kettle on. Sir David Hunter ... Devil among the ... The Honey Moon. Murphy Delany. Laurette. Speed the plough. Off he goes. M...browes Waltz. [indecypherable] (4th of 4 hand-written lists written on the inside of the lid.)
Credit line
Given to the Museum by Henry Barret Lennard
Object history
This instrument was given by Henry Barrett Lennard in 1899.
Summary
Barrel organs were fitted with organ pipes and bellows, and wound with a crank-handle, which rotated a wooden cylinder or 'barrel' and pumped air as well as controlling its supply to the individual pipes. This process enabled different tunes to be played, and this example originally had four barrels, playing 10 tunes each. Barrel organs provided dance music and even hymns for services in domestic chapels. Longman & Broderip, who made this example, traded under that name from 1776 until 1795, when they finally went bankrupt.
Bibliographic reference
Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), p. 70.
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
2155-1899

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O368912/barrel-organ-longman--broderip/
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