The Golden Lion is one of the finest examples of a European street organ. Built by “Mortier” of Antwerp, Belgium during the the Roaring Twenties, it is a most impressive instrument and features a carved lion’s head as well as three paintings of African scenes. Extensive decoration with gold leaf makes this organ a truly magnificent sight.
Orginally built as a dance hall organ with extra ranks of pipes and an even larger facade, the “Golden Lion” was converted for street use in the late 1920’s and played for many years in the city of Alkmaar in The Netherlands.
Air
required to operate the organ is generated by cranking a large flywheel
which pressurises a reservoir. The medium used to distribute the air is
the folding cardboard book. As the music is pulled through the
keyframe, the slots are read by mechanical fingers which then open
valves allowing the air to pass to the 12 registers, 400 pipes,
animated carved figures, drums and other percussionetc.