The Trust
Founded in 2009, the Gavioli Organ Trust is a unique UK charity (number 1132798), authorised and regulated by the UK Charity Commission, which acquires, restores and protects historic fairground organs. We work with leading international organ restorers, music arrangers and façade conservationists to ensure the instruments in our care are restored and maintained to factory-original condition.
We give weekly recitals, demonstrations and talks at our premises in Milton Keynes, a city 50 miles north-west of London. You can inspect progress on the restoration of the organs in our care and examine our music repertoire, which is the largest collection of 89 key music in the world.
We also travel one of our instruments to many events in the UK
Fairground Organs and Music Books
Fairground organs are a mechanical musical instrument, designed for use in commercial fairground settings to provide music to accompany rides, primarily galloping horses roundabouts. The heyday of the fairground organ was the period 1890 to the mid-1920s, when the advent of effective electrical sound amplification brought a different commercial requirement for music on fairgrounds. The motive force for a fairground organ is wind under pressure generated from mechanically powered bellows in the instrument's base.
Early organs were played by a rotating barrel with the sounds triggered by metal pins, as in a music box. Later organs used perforated folded cardboard (a bit like a concertina) for convenient storage. The folded cardboard is referred to as a “book”. This system was patented by the leading Parisian organ manufacturer, Gavioli et Cie. Their system became widely regarded as commercially advantageous as book music offered cheaper and more sophisticated musical capability than barrel music. There are holes cut into the cardboard which operate the organ. The arranger is the person who marks the holes onto the cardboard to make the tune work; this when cut onto the cardboard is called the “arrangement”. A 3 ½ minute song is roughly 12.5 metres of cardboard in length.
Many large organs similar to the ones in our care did not survive the economic slump in the 1930s due to their size and maintenance costs, and were sadly destroyed. However, the late 1950s saw the beginning of a revival of interest in historic organs, and this continued with the launch of preservation societies dedicated to promoting organs in the UK and Netherlands in the 1960s. Steam rallies and private organ collections from this period onwards also gave fair organs greater public prominence.
Our charity aims to continue this preservation into the 21st Century.
On Tour
The Collection
In this Section we set out a summary of the history of the organs in the collection. We have illustrated each instrument with only a small part of the façade or a historic picture of the organ during its working life. We encourage you to visit us to the see the full effect of each complete assembled façade as the quality of the carving and colour scheme are best appreciated in person. Do get in touch if you have any additional historical information to add to the biographical details of the organs below.
92 key Hooghuys. Built in 1907 in Grammont, Belgium (serial number LH547). The organ was supplied new to a Belgian showman, Florimond Verleyen. The organ spent most of its working life in an amusement park near Le Touquet in France. This is the largest surviving Hooghuys fair organ (although larger Hooghuys dance organs exist). We acquired this organ from France in 2014. The picture shows the three original figures from the organ, a lion-tamer flanked by two lions. Unlike other organ firms, Hooghuys figures were static with no automated movement, often with an animal theme. Hooghuys organs are noted for their fast-action key-frames and valves.
90 Key Gavioli (G5 scale). Built in Paris, this is a rare example of the large “concert symphonique range” built by Gavioli in Paris, towards the end of the company’s life, for indoor use. Demand for these instruments was strong on the Continent (rather than the UK) with this type of instrument supplied new to showmen operating dance halls or travelling dance tents. A distinctive feature of this model are large and ornate facades. This organ spent all its working life in the Netherlands, entering preservation under Jan Hoefnagels of Linne. We acquired the organ from an amusement arcade in Vlissingen in 2013. The picture is of the organ (only partly built up) in Rosine Desmet’s dance hall in Rotterdam, circa 1910.
89 Key Gavioli (G2 scale). Built in Paris circa 1899/1900 (serial number 8689). The organ was supplied new to Parisian showman Leon Cornuet who used the organ in his art nouveau-style “Electric Velodrome” roundabout. The history of the organ following Mr Cornuet’s ownership is unknown, but in 1965 the organ was acquired at auction in a Parisian suburb by Francis Schoeller, who commissioned Marc Fournier of Lyon to restore the organ. Mr Schoelller then used the organ as the centrepiece of his circus (a permanent venue) in Paris. The organ has survived with its five original figures. We acquired this organ from Macon, France in 2011.
89 Key Gavioli (G4 scale). Built in Paris in circa 1905/6 (serial number 9056). This organ spent its early working life with showman Charles Thurston travelling the fairs of the East Midlands and East Anglia. In was later travelled in the greater London area by Mannings Amusements. We acquired this organ in the UK in 2010 where it had been stored in a London organ factory for 60 years. The organ has seven figures.
89 Key Marenghi. Built in Paris by Marenghi et Cie, circa 1906. This organ was ordered new by Marshall Hill, a showman in Bedminster, Bristol for use in his travelling motor-car switchback ride. It was later used at Barry’s amusement park in Belfast. The organ has long been associated with the fair organ movement, entering preservation under Harry Hollingsworth of Conisbrough, Yorkshire in 1956. The preservationist Arthur Middleton gave public recitals on the organ in the early 1960s at Pleasley, Nottinghamshire. The organ was subsequently owned by Eddie Dowlman, Arthur Mason and Frank Lythgoe. We acquired this organ in the UK in 2016.
89 Key Marenghi. Built in Paris by Marenghi et Cie, circa 1909. Originally 70 key (serial number 2323) the instrument was later enlarged to the popular 89 key scale by Chiappa in London. The organ is a VB scale instrument, but is fitted with a special G4 lever which enables G4 music to be played using the correct G4 ranks. The organ was used commercially in Exeter showman Tom Whitelegg’s gallopers travelling the fairs of the West Country. It entered the preservation era in 1976 under ownership of Bill Sykes of Abbotsley, then Arthur and Malcolm Reeder of Chilwell. Given the extent of its transportation (both in its working and preservation life), we believe this is the most widely travelled organ of all time. We acquired this organ in the UK in 2017.
89 Key Pierre Eich. This organ was built in Ghent, Belgium circa 1906. It spent its working life travelling Belgian fairs in a variety of rides and was maintained by Van Steeput Freres of Purrs, Belgium. Pierre Eich did not manufacture many large fairground organs, as their diverse business included player pianos, orchestrions and latterly pneumatic jukeboxes. This organ has an “architectural” style façade. We acquired this organ from Belgium in 2015.
84 Key Mortier. Built by Theophile Mortier in Antwerp, Belgium, circa 1913/14. This dance organ is one of the rare early Mortier organs (serial number unknown). The façade panels are original. No other manufacturer has matched the cubic meter volume of organs built by Mortier. This little-known organ spent its working life in Belgium and was latterly stored in a barn. We acquired this organ from the Netherlands in 2024.
40 key Gasparini. Built by Alexandre Gasparini in Paris, circa 1911/12. We believe this was one of the last organs built by Gasparini as following financial difficulties, the company was taken over by Pierre Butel, who is co-named on the façade brand panel. With 40 keys this is an unusual scale, and an example of the Gasparini range known as “Uniflute”. Gasparini organs tended to build smaller specification organs to their Parisian rivals, supplying instruments for use in French city streets and small fairs. This organ was donated to us by a French collector in 2016. The picture shows the original façade panel of a Venetian canal.