The Organs of the US and Canada Database
(OUSCDBŠ) was created with the intent of providing in a single,
consistent, accessible source a detailed historical overview of
the organ as it has been physically constructed or installed in
the United States and Canada since the arrival of the first imported
instrument in the colonies. All instruments either fabricated
in or physically located in the US and/or Canada are to be included.
Basic parameters of data included are:
Individual record listings for:
1 - Each organ constructed within the US or Canada
2 - Each organ installed within the US or Canada
3 - Each action assigned a builder identifier number by a US or Canadian builder
4 - Each rebuild/restoration/renovation
of an organ installed in the US or Canada
Material excluded as outside the scope of this database includes most material relating to:
1 - reed organs
2 - orchestrions or band organs
3 - basic stock model electronics
4 - photoplayers or theater pit organs
The OUSCDBŠ is organized in a manner to
allow ease of use and flexibility in initial entry, editing, and
updating while including specific necessary physical and historical
information and considerable detail. It is designed to be continually
updated and will only remain viable as long as it is maintained
in an ongoing operation. By use of an uncomplicated standardized
computer format, which could easily be made available to researchers,
collectors, historians, musicians, etc., editing and updating
is facilitated. Little specific instruction would be needed other
than very basic familiarity with, and availability of, a PC. Ideally,
the OUSCDBŠ format could go to builders who could make their own
updates. For most builders, the entry of the activities of an
entire year, new instruments, rebuilds/relocations, additions,
restorations, or large scale maintenance could be completed in
a few hours once the basic data is assembled. Organ historians
would be able to easily update and verify known statistics and
details as research progresses. Church, architectural, and other
researchers would be able to trace physical locations, congregation/population
changes, or natural physical events (i.e. great fires, earthquakes).
The ORGANS OF THE US AND CANADA DATABASEŠ
is potentially a very significant aspect of the history of the
organ, not only in those specified areas, but also world wide.
With the growth and continued improvement of the quality of North
American instrument builders into a most influential segment of
the organ builder's art, it is necessary that this growth be documented
while some of that documentation still exists. Our paper documents
are both disappearing and deteriorating at an alarming and unfortunately
unstoppable rate. We still alter original and historic instruments
with unconscionable ease and disrespect for their significance
and leave little evidence to indicate what we have changed, or
how we did it. We continue to replace serviceable but perhaps
old fashioned instruments with new ones representing our current
notions of what a "good" organ is and must be. Poorly
informed budget conscious purchasers continue to award the care
of good and important instruments to the ministrations of unqualified
and unsympathetic service technicians because they are the only
source available locally, or, more often, because they are the
lowest bidder.
The database concept allows maintenance
and continuation of that history in multiple locations (no single
place to lose to fire, for example), rapid accurate exchange of
information (computer/modern generation, transport, and integration
of data), and simple accessibility to that information. Encyclopedic
cataloging of information on non-extant instruments in a permanent
CD-ROM format would be of little difficulty and distribution of
that material to archives and libraries or individuals would be
greatly simplified. Greater knowledge and understanding of our
past would facilitate and enhance our appreciation and respect
for our present, that which will become the body of the archives
of the not distant future.
In summation, the ORGANS OF THE US AND
CANADA DATABASEŠ has the potential of being a significant part
of our future Organ historical research and documentation
George Nelson
The listing has been entirely built and
maintained by its owner, George
Nelson. You may contact Mr. Nelson for information at Post Office Box
17463, Seattle, WA, 98127-1163, or via E-Mail c/o ouscdb@q.com.
George is always eager to help others interested in historical pipe
organ
research. If
you have material which may be useful
for the maintenance of this
data base (such as information on destroyed or relocated organs, rebuilt
organs, new
installations, etc), Mr. Nelson would be happy to hear from you at the
address above. If you are willing to share information you have gathered,
he would love to hear from you. Similarly, if you need information on
locations, opus numbers, or other historical data, George would like to
hear from you. Material supplied by George has already contributed
significantly to such activities as OHS Chapter organ crawls, etc. Please, if you are sending information to Mr Nelson, complete organ
Identification is important. Please, give full basic information
identifying the organs. Please give location name (Church, city, state -
address is great if known), and builder name at least. Other information
would also be appreciated as known {year, opus, ranks, stops, pipes, etc.
etc.}. Submissions by those interested in organ history are all-important in
the creation and maintenance of this listing. Currently, it includes almost 90,000
instruments, with references to c.1800 builders. The list is not
available on line or via the web, but
Mr. Nelson is always happy to look up special or particular information on the OUSCDB. Contact thfough E-Mail or to the above address. In addition George can make printouts of segments of the
lists available at cost through US Mail.
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