Original Catalogue Specifications:
-
No
Philipps serial or work number observed.
- Revolver Mechanism (roll changer) #???
- Date or date code cast into piano harp: ??????.
- Integral case and chassis format.
- Standard 6 station, friction drive revolver mechanism (roll
changer).
- Round belt/countershaft pulley reduction for feeder (pump)
crankshaft.
- Mechanical slider lock and cancel register controls.
- Originally used Philipps Pianella Cäecilia (P.C.) or Wurlitzer
Concert PianOrchestra rolls.
- Currently scaled for Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.) or Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra rolls.
- Tracker Scale: Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.)
56 Note Musical Scale:
-
Piano
(??-note), with Mandolin attachment
- 42 Violins (wood violin pipes with brass freins)
- 12 Violas (wood viola pipes)
- 30 Violoncellos (wood violoncello pipes)
- 12 Piccolos (metal flute pipes)
- 18 Flutes (metal flute pipes)
- Xylophone, 30 bars (reiterating action)
- Chimes, 13 bars (orchestra bells)
- Snare drum (reiterating action)
- Bass drum, with cymbal
- Kettle drum (tympani effect using two beaters)
- Tambourine (reiterating action)
- Castanets (reiterating action)
Special Lighting Effects:
- Pianella Pfau translates to Pianella Peacock. The "erect" tail feathers of the peacock are actually a set of slender mirrors, which reflect the lighted peacock feathers painted on a tapered glass cylinder that extends from the rear of the cast metal peacock's body. When the instrument operates, an electric lamp illumines
the glass cylinder from the inside, thus causing the images of feathers to be projected onto the faceted arrangement of the slender mirrors.
- In a 1911/12 Philipps catalog, a partial description of a Model 47 is as follows: "On the central panel of the cornice is a peacock with the beautiful feathers of its tail erect, whilst a magic lamp illumines
either of the side panels. The center of the front wall shows a Light-effect representing ...," which in the case of this machine is an animated fountain scene.
- The Pianella Pfau (or what appears to be a later version known as a Philipps Model 47 or Wurlitzer style 47 PianOrchestra) combined all the special lighting effects found on any one particular Pianella/PianOrchestra.
Notes:
- During restoration at Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., it was noted that
what appeared to be the original lead tubing between the tracker bar and
main valve chest was configured to use P.C. (:Philipps Pianella Cäecilia
or Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestra) type music rolls. However, it is
possible that this tubing arrangement noted was not original, as the
machine had been extensively repaired and/or remodeled at a much earlier
date, and by someone who probably had access to new and/or original
parts and supplies. Therefore, it is not known for certain which type of
music roll the instrument originally used (i.e., P.C. or P.M.).
- The pipework listed above is estimated, as catalogue information is
vague, and the actual pipe register information within the Model "Pfau"
has not been physically confirmed.
- A replica triangle with Philipps reiterating action was added during
restoration at Hathaway & Bowers, Inc.
-
Wurlitzer
advertised the style 47 PianOrchestra in a very distinctive later style
case, featuring modernistic lines (illustrated at right). Since no
instruments with that specific case style are known to exist, strictly
speaking, it could be argued that no style 47 PianOrchestras exist.
However, this Philipps Pianella Pfau seems to be essentially the same
orchestrion, in an earlier style case, and it has the same lighting
effects, although the subject of the animated scene is different, which
in the Model 47 is an Alpine landscape with ships moving along a river
and an airship sailing through the sky.
- In a 1911/12 Philipps catalog the pipework in the Model 47 (pictured
at right) is listed as violins, bass viols, flutes, cello, and
clarinets. These pipes are probably divided into three ranks as follows:
12 Violoncello (Bass Viol) + 30 Violin pipes
30 Flutes pipes
20 Clarinet + 22 Cello pipes
Chronological History:
Circa 1907-08
Manufactured by J.D. Philipps & Son, Bockenheim, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
Circa 1908-10
Original location, Belgium.
Circa 1969
Roy Haning & Neal White collection, Troy, Ohio.
About 1968-69 the Pianella Model Pfau (Peacock) was found somewhere in
Belgium by Eugene DeRoy, and subsequently sold to Roy Haning and Neal White.
During shipment of the orchestrion to the United States, it was either
bought or traded by Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., and shipped to Santa Fe
Springs, California.
Circa 1969
Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, California.
Purchased from Roy Haning and Neal White, of Troy, Ohio, the instrument
was scrubbed clean and set up in the Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., showroom.
Circa 1970
Bronson collection, Michigan.
After
the purchase by Bud Bronson, the Model "Pfau" was restored in the Hathaway &
Bowers, Inc., shop. A replica Philipps repeating triangle action was
installed to round out the trapwork compliment. The instrument was
originally tubed to play Philipps PC (Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestra)
rolls, but was retubed to play PM (Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra) rolls
due to the much greater general availability of this type of music roll. The
musical scale was changed from 56-notes to 61-notes. Since the piano had
unison coupled bass notes, it was able to accommodate the change in scale
compass without a problem. The original Philipps main chest being in very
poor condition was replaced by a new chest, copying a more modern, "next
generation," Philipps main chest design.
All the original lighting effects were missing. The two large "magic
lamps," also occasionally described by Philipps as "fancy lamps," were
duplicated by using proportionally scaled up patterns measured from the
similar, and considerably smaller, American version, the "Wonderlamp," as
found on Wurlitzer style LX 65-note orchestrions. The amount of upwards
scaling was determined by interpolating dimensions and proportions taken
from the original "magic lamp" holes in the Philipps case, as well as
comparative measurements taken from Philipps catalogues and advertising
pictures which illustrated the Model "Pfau." The center Peacock with
lighted, revolving tail was a rescaled version of the Wurlitzer "Peacock,"
as found on the style 12 PianOrchestra. The center, animated scene was
duplicated from catalogue illustrations and advertisements, with the
mechanics and lighting designed after similar instruments, such as the
animation mechanism in the Wurlitzer style 40 Mandolin PianOrchestra.
