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Symphony Organ (Wilcox & White)
They “Symphony” Organ is a very rare and early model of self-playing reed organ produced by the Wilcox & White Company of Meridian, CT.  Established in 1877, Wilcox & White built a variety of pianos and organs during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, but their specialty was player pianos and player organs.  Wilcox & White was one of the first to produce a “push up player” device to play ordinary pianos.  This device was called the “Angelus” and was essentially an external cabinet with felt covered fingers that were pushed up to a piano keyboard.   The device used a perforated roll and was operated by foot treadles, and was the forerunner of the traditional player piano of the early 20th Century.  The “Symphony” Organ was a very complex instrument, and was well ahead of its time. It came in several different sizes and models, all of which are exceedingly rare today. After the turn-of-the-century, the firm manufactured more traditional player pianos under the Wilcox & White, Artrio-Angelus and Vesper brand names. Wilcox & White was out of business before the Great Depression era.
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19th Century Advertisements For The “Symphony” Self Playing Reed Organ, Built By Wilcox & White