Munroe Reed Organ Co. Roller Organ: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This roller organ was made by the Munroe Reed Organ Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, around 1893-1897. It is a Mandolina model, with 20 free reeds that are vacuum operated. This roller organ plays 5-7/16" wide perforated paper rolls. It is pedal(2) and hand crank operated. Accessioned with 20 paper rolls made for a mandolina or celestina.

Mandolina models were made by the Monroe Organ Reed Company and distributed by the Mechanical Orguinette Company of New York, later becoming the Aeolian Company.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1893-1897
• maker: Munroe Organ Reed Company
• Object Name: roller organ
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 34 1/2 in x 26 7/8 in x 18 in; 87.63 cm x 68.2625 cm x 45.72 cm
• place made: United States: Massachusetts, Worcester
• ID Number: MI.73.02
• accession number: 301352
• catalog number: 73.02
• Credit Line: Gift of Henry H. Ploch
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.