Snetzler Pipe Organ: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This pipe organ was made by John Snetzler in London, England, in 1761. It has a single keyboard, with a compass of GG/c - e3 (no GG3, AA#, BB). The organ’s stop list is as follows:

8' Open Diapason (treble only) 8' Stopped Diapason 4' Flute 2' Fifteenth II Sesquialtera (bass) II Cornet (treble) Swell shutter in lid of case Machine stop

Dr. Samuel Bard of Philadelphia and New York, a physician who attended George Washington, is believed to have imported this organ from England shortly after its manufacture. Signed and dated :john Snetzler fecit London 1761” inside the pallet box under the keyboard, this instrument is typical of the many chamber organs many by Snetzler.

In addition to its use in Dr. Bard's homes, this organ was moved to the Episcopal Church of Hyde Park, New York, and several other locations. While on loan to the Collection of the New York State Historical Society in Cooperstown, N.Y., it was purchased by the Smithsonian from heirs of its original owner, restored in the shop of C. B. Fisk, and accessioned in the collections in 1969.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1761
• Object Name: organ
• Object Name: Snetzler Pipe Organ
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 95 in x 58 in x 35 in; 241.3 cm x 147.32 cm x 88.9 cm
• place made: United Kingdom: England, London
• ID Number: MI.69.05
• accession number: 283575
• catalog number: 69.05
• 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.