The KDV - a brief History

The organs in the past

Street-organs are related to the Netherlands like the tulips, the wooden shoes, and the giant water-works. Almost every tourist in a Dutch city can meet one of these typical Dutch instruments playing in the streets.

Nevertheless, the chance of such a meeting has decreased dramatically over the years. In the twenties and thirties of the 20th century a multitude of the present amount of street organs was playing in the streets of our country. In the city of Amsterdam alone more than 30 of these instruments were crossing the town every day! In the other cities they were about as abundant as in Amsterdam. 

75-key street organ "the Arab"; the most famous Dutch street organ. Owner: G. Perlee Cy.

Music by self-playing organs was not just audible in the streets. At the village and town fairs all the music was made by fairground organs, with a distinctive different sound; nearly every attraction, big or small, possessed such an organ. Most of these organs were built in Germany and the music they made was clearly distinguishable from the street music. 

96 keyless "Swedish Ruth" fairground organ made by A. Ruth (model 38) owned by Mr. G. Vader, Kolhorn

Apart from that, many dance-halls, public houses, hotels etcetera had automatic musical instruments within their walls. Those who did not have a dance hall organ or orchestrion hired one for the duration of the fair. 

101-key Mortier organ "Paashuis" Museum "van Speelklok tot Pierement" Utrecht  

Development after 1940.

This picture started to change during WW II. The German occupational authorities banned all street organs as early as 1942. Fairs were forbidden. After the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945 the old atmosphere around the organs did not return, nor did the general appreciation of automatic musical instruments. In the years after the war the influence of radio and gramophone increased rapidly, with the result that everyone could have his own music at home. In many places the amount of licenses for playing in the streets with an organ were decreased.
The new styles of building made it nearly impossible to hear the organ far below and the income of organ-grinders went down. Furthermore, many organs had suffered a lot due to the long idleness and their condition had deteriorated , making extensive and costly reparations necessary. On the fairground many of the organs were replaced by sound installations, which were less costly to maintain, and also less weighty and easier to transport. A similar process took place in the dance-halls and public houses. Some of the old-fashioned dance-organs took a whole wall and more than a meter  (3ft 6) of depth from the premises ! The juke-box, invented in the United States, and  made by companies that had made mechanical music instruments before (Wurlitzer, Seeburg) became a popular alternative. A lot of once valuable automatic music instruments were discarded in short time; as a result the prices for the organs dropped dramatically. In many cases the organs were simply dumped somewhere outside or were demolished completely. Much of the old glory was destroyed that way.

The foundation of the KDV.

While in Holland the interest in street organs was waning, people abroad became aware of the big artistic and cultural value of these automatic musical instruments. This caused the export of various splendid and irreplaceable organs, at first to the United States of America and to England, later also to other parts of the world, especially Japan. Many organ lovers, attached as they were to these instruments, became very upset by these developments and many wondered if there could be put a halt to the exports. In May 1954 the society KDV was founded as a result of several attempts by organ friends to unite themselves. By organizing activities like exhibitions and organ shows it was hoped that the street- fair- and danceorgans could keep their positions in the Dutch society.

Aims and activities of the KDV.

The aims of the society are: to rise the interest and love for the mechanical organ; the preservation of this type of organ and all that is linked to it historically or otherwise; the rise of the musical level and prestige of the organ as a folkloristic musical instrument (section 3 of the regulations). During her more than fourty years of existence the KDV has made many initiatives to preserve as much as possible of the organ folklore for the Netherlands. 

Het Pierement

The KDV issues an excellent quarterly: Het Pierement. In this magazine attention is paid to all kinds of actual, historical technical and musical matters concerning the "draaiorgel" and other mechanical musical instruments. One can find information about literature on automatic musical instruments and about new recordings. Of course this magazine contains actual and historic photographs. The reader is informed about museums and collections of mechanical musical instruments in Holland and abroad. This magazine keeps organ-fiends informed about the whereabouts of organ shows in Europe.

Organ shows

Organizing these organ shows is an important part of the work of the KDV. Generally eight till twelve organs of as many kinds and marks as possible participate in these events. In general such organ shows take place on the initiative of shopkeepers, organizing committees and others. The KDV invites the organs and looks after the technical services. Organ shows attract numerous visiters again and again.

Organ enthusiasts listening to the street organ "Drie Pruiken"

Museum

One KDV-initiative with far-reaching consequences was the founding of the National Museum "from Musical Clock to Street Organ" in Utrecht. Started with a limited collection it has grown durimg the years both in a qualitative and a quantitative sense into absolutely the leading museum of this kind in the whole world. The steady growth of the collection made it necessary to move already twice. Since 1984 it is housed in an old church in Utrecht named the "Buurkerk".

Leon Warnies Foundation.

In 1964 the KDV formed the Leon Warnies Foundation. This foundation was named after the Begian Leon Warnies who started the first organ renting business in Amsterdam in 1875. Warnies is regarded as the founder of the typical Dutch street organ culture. Till today decendants of Leon Warnies are active in the Dutch street organ business. Both the well known street organ letter Gijs Perlee and his cousin and collegue Henk Möhlmann were grandsons of Leon Warnies. Today the Amsterdam street organ business of the late Gijs Perlee is still continued by his grandson Leon Van Leeuwen.

The Leon Warnies Foundation gives financial aid to local foundations that want to preserve one or more street organs for Holland and have them restored.

Recognition.

In spite of the efforts of the Kring Van Draaiorgelvrienden and the Leon Warnies Foundation quite a number of organs have been exported to foreign countries in the last decades. Due to lack of expert treatment and often also to bad climatological conditions many of these instruments have fallen into complete decay. This knowledge and the fear of more valuable organs to leave this country made the committee of the KDV contact the ministry of Culture a few years ago in order to examine the possibility of legal protection against export of mechanical organs as cultural monuments.
 

It was very joyful for many organ-friends that the minister of Culture decided to place six organs in 1992 on the special list of irreplacable Dutch cultural goods. By doing so these six organs, amongst which Holland's best-known street organ "The Arab", are now protected against export.

The Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden

is an organisation with between 1400 and 1500 members in the Netherlands and abroad. It is the second oldest and second biggest organisation of mechanical music enthousiasts in the world.

President:

Vice-president / webmaster:

World secretary:

Membership secretary:

Cashier:

Organisation of events:

PR manager:

Sales and postal orders manager:

Documentalist:

dr. J. van Oost webmaster@draaiorgel.org

D.A. Warnies secr@draaiorgel.org

H. Meddeler: members@draaiorgel.org

H.G.C.M. Voerman penningmeester@draaiorgel.org

dr. H. Hiddinga events@draaiorgel.org

M. Hage public-relations@draaiorgel.org

A.J. Meijer sales@draaiorgel.org

P.C. van Aken doc@draaiorgel.org