The World's Largest Musical Instrument: The Wanamaker Organ - Pt.1

In Part One, Scott Kip takes me inside the Wanamaker Organ to see the amazing mechanical wonders within. The Wanamaker Organ is the largest functioning musical instrument in the World, containing over 28,000 individual pipes in 444 ranks. Originally created for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company, it was exhibited in the Kansas City Convention Hall until 1906 when it was dismantled and put into storage. The organ was purchased by John Wanamaker in 1909, and it was transported in pieces and installed in the current location in Philadelphia in 1910 in its first incarnation. The organ has since undergone several major renovations, restorations, and upgrades over the last century - much of which will be the subject of part two - where I will get into the rich history and technical complexity of the organ and how it functions. For more info check out the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ website: http://www.wanamakerorgan.com Help Support Fran's YouTube Channel on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/frantone Frantone on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frantone/ Donate to help fund my YouTube Channel at http://www.frantone.com Fran on Twitter - https://twitter.com/contourcorsets Fran's Science Blog - http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings.html Fran's Daily Updates - http://www.contourcorsets.com/daily/daily.html

Comments

1. Now that the Midmer-Losh Organ in Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, this is no longer the largest man made instrument
2. I WANNA PLAY THAT!! yes I literarlly want to play every organ I see XD
   just kidding, but they are amazing, I am in love (again XD)
3. Interesting, except for the shaky low quality camera job and the unorganized storytelling
4. Frannie, still want to know how you wangled that...would have enjoyed being there on that tour!
5. 14:35 sounds AMAZING how it starts to distort more and more!
6. Anybody know the name of the song being played in the beginning of the video?
7. incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Absolutely incredible series of videos. Thank you. I was sitting on the edge of my chair similar to a three year old on Saturday morning. I'm not certain how much time has past since I've felt as interested, amazed, captive by your content. Thanks again.
9. Great video.
10. Lmao. This looks like something straight out of harry potter or a steam punk novel.
11. Why the different tops to the pipes And are they all one note ? Certain pipes together
12. NO LONGER THE LARGEST WITH THE ATLANTIC CITY ORGAN EVEN IF NOT FULLY REBULT.
13. OMW i am so jealous! i love organs and i would love to see one this big from the inside
14. This is the most awe-inspiring thing I've ever seen. If it were some complicated, finely-crafted mechanism, you'd never get the full effect. But because it's so brutalist and inelegant in design, you can fit it all in your head, and it's mind-boggling.
    
    Miles of corridors and stairways, every one clumsily stuffed with hundreds and hundreds of pipes, powered by nothing but electricity and wooden levers. It's massive, it's loud, it's dangerous, and it belongs in a fantasy novel. But here it is, in a shopping mall.
15. 16:23 you know it's a good organ when it has an entire room dedicated to vox humanas!
16. The pipes you remarked on that have a pattern on them in the metal are made of "spotted metal" an alloy of tin and lead that is used for many types of organ pipes.
17. what an amazing piece of Art.
18. I've been using 15:22 through 16:28 to A. avoid spoilers, and B. annoy my brother.
19. Will there be / Is there a part two? I couldn't find it if there is.
20. They are an amazing machine!! I really enjoyed this video. A couple things; you're quite attractive...you have a nice voice too...but, those glasses have to go! :) Finally, that mottling on the metal pipes (you thought of as a galvanizing effect) is caused by the cooling of the metal alloy in manufacture. Metals used are typically specific combinations of lead, tin, and/or zinc. They're melted down, mixed to their specs, poured out onto a huge stone table where it cools and forms a sheet from which the pipes will be formed. As the metal cools it developes that characteristic effect which will vary by the ratios of the different metals used. Someone that knows they're shiite better than I can even look at them and have a rough idea of what metals and ratios were used. I'm surprised Kip couldn't explain that part. Yeah, cool video. Yeah, you need to loose those glasses is all! :D