Netherlands: Drei Pruiken Draaiorgel

Netherlands issued a set of two stamps in 2014, the European Year for musical instruments. The stamps celebrate the Drei Pruiken Draaiorgal, a famous street organ in that country. The instrument is characterized by three be-wigged statues as part of the decoration.

Information about the organ from Hans Timmermann's site:
De firma werd in 1875 opgericht door Orgelbouwer Leon Warnis uit België Oorspronkelijk verhuurde de firma alleen maar draaiorgels, later kwamen daar ook reparaties en nieuwbouw bij. In 1932 nam de familie Perlee de onderneming over en begon een orgelmakers werkplaats in de Westerstraat 119 in Amsterdam, waar deze zich nu nog bevindt.

Het draaiorgel de "Drie Pruiken" werd in 1953 uit de resten van een oud Gavioli-Orgel gebouwd.
Het was de eerste nieuwbouw van de firma na de 2e wereldoorlog. De naam is ontleend aan de drie figuren op de voorzijde die historische kostuums en grote pruiken dragen. De drie pruiken is nog volledig intact. Er wordt zelfs geregeld nieuwe muziek speciaal voor dit bekende orgel gecomponeerd. De drie pruiken is eigendom van Museum Speelklok in Utrecht. Dit museum beheert de grootste collectie straatorgels uit de twintigste eeuw.

The company was founded in 1875 by Orgelbouwer Leon Warnis from Belgium Originally, the company rented only spin organizers, later arrived there including repairs and new construction. In 1932, the Perlee family took over the company and began one- organ workmaker's workshop in the Westerstraat 119 in Amsterdam, where it is still located.

The rotary organ "Drie Wruiken" was built in 1953 from the remains of an old Gavioli organ.
It was the company's first new building after the 2nd World War. The name is derived from the three figures on the front which carry historical costumes and big wigs. The three wigs are still completely intact. Even new music is specially composed for this well-known organ. The three wigs are owned by Museum Speelklok in Utrecht. This museum manages the largest collection of street organizers of the twentieth century.

Netherlands: Mozart in Netherlands

Netherlands Post issued this stamp in 2016, part of a set of two commemorating the visit of Amadeus Mozart to Haarlem in 1766. While there the ten-year-old music prodigy played the organ in the Grote Kerk. The same instrument had been played by GF Handel when he visited the city in 1740 and 1750. The stamp shows a portrait of Mozart and the console of the organ. (The other stamp shows Mozart and a music manuscript.)

The Mueller organ was completed in 1738 and is generally acclaimed as one of the finest instruments to this day. The last major repairs were complete 1959-1960 by the Marcussen firm. Flentrop now takes care of the instrument. Ninety percent of the original pipework is still in place.

My stamp was a gift from Mark Jameson; it is unused. It pays the first-class postage rate.

Aruba, music box

The Caribbean nation of Aruba declared independence from the Netherlands in 1986, shedding the name "Netherlands Antilles" in the process. Their post office issued a set of regular issue stamps that year, and a follow-up set in 1987 filling out missing denominations. The stamps features simple images of items related to Aruban life. Mysteriously this included this small musical instrument. Scott 11 has a deep red background and is denominated 75c. Scott calls it a music box; it has been on the organ topical list since its inception. But I cannot, looking at the stamp closely, agree that it is an organ. The interior parts look remarkably like the innards of a piano: tuning pins and strings, and the (steel) resonator. I had once imagined the strings were pipes, but the pins belie that possibility. The hand crank on the left-front of the instrument is curious, but not in itself indicative of this being an organ of any type. Hans Timmerman includes this stamp in his database, FWIW. He names it a draaiorgel, or barrel organ. These are popular in the Netherlands. But again, looking at that mechanism, I'm just not sure it's an organ. I am including this stamp here for the sake of completeness, but not with any sense that it truly belongs.

Netherlands: Street organ

This stamp was issued as part of a set of two in 1981. It features a street organ. These instruments are self-contained and built on carts that can be towed or otherwise moved from place to place. These are apparently quite a thing in the Netherlands, as a cursory image search revealed many, many images. I am not able to determine the maker of this particular instrument. It has three openings for sound to emerge from the works. It seems that it was designed to be moved by hand, rather than self-propelled or towed by a vehicle. The other stamp in the set (issued for the Europa theme "folklore and customs") depicts bells. The present stamp, Scott 614, is denominated 65c.

Netherlands: Europa, 1985

The Netherlands prepared a pair of stamps for the 1985 music year. Scott 669-670 feature a piano keyboard on the low-value and  stylized organ pipes on the 70c stamp.