Music Boxes, France 2015

 

Francs issued this small sheet of stamps in 2015. If seems that these are each small music boxes. One of them is an ornate pipe organ. The description tells us only, "the organ clock." Once can assume that there is a wind-up mechanism within that provides music of some sort and perhaps some motions. The stamp is gummed, part of a set of 6, and each are denominated .68 Euros. It was issued in 2015. There is a large bar code in the lower left corner presumably for tracking and sales information. The reverse of the sheet is completely blank. I have not tried to identify the location of the various instruments. 

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.

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.

Poland: Folk art

I have always been a little confused by the stamps in this issue.  The Scott catalog describes the set as folk art. These two semi-postals the catalog says are (5.50z+1.50z) a choir and (7z+1.50z) an organ grinder. Hans Timmerman's site documents the first of the pair, saying it is a choir accompanied by a portativ organ. Even up close I have a hard time seeing an organ in either of them!

The set was issued in 1969. There were six stamps of regular issue (Scott 1705-1710) in addition to the two present stamps (B118-B119). The were issued in December of that year. The catalog does not give any details about the recipent of the special funds raised by the semi-postal stamps.

It does seem that the larger figure in B118 has hands hovering above a set of key. It's difficult to discern what the man in yellow pants is actually doing in B119. An organ of some type may be depict in either or both of these stamps! I include both of them mostly for a sense of completeness, since they appear on most persons' lists of pipe organ stamps.

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.

Greece: Barrel organ

Greece issued this stamp (Scott 1165) featuring a barrel organ in 1975. It was part of a set of twelve stamps featuring musical instruments. Other instruments included in the set:

Lyre (Pontos), (a mural of Byzantine musicians), another lyre (Crete), Tambourine, guitar, bagpipes, lute, pipes and zournadas (a type of reed instrument shown below), (another mural showing singers), drums, kanonaki (a type of harp shown below).

The current stamp is essentially green, with the instrument centered. The shown instrument is nicely decorated with draperies and a picture. There is no descriptive information on the stamp.

Germany: Drehorgel

This stamp Scott 9N589) was issued in 1990 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the invention of the drehorgel in Germany. The drehorgel is essentially a German version of a barrel organ or fairground organ. it uses a hand crank to generate wind which in turn blows the pipes. Many of these instruments were placed on wheels for ease of portability; the one shown in the stamp is hung by a strap around the neck. The stamp was issued May 3 for Berlin; as such it is one of the last stamps issued before the Wall fell and Germany was re-united. Here is a helpful article to understand this instrument.