Saturday, February 15, 2014

Restoring Landmark's theater organ


Charles Hague of the American Theater Organ Society, writing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, wonders whether the Landmark Theater restoration will include restoration of its currently inoperative 1927 Wurlitzer organ:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/hague-can-the-landmark-s-organ-be-saved/article_d104b4ad-57f4-519a-a803-f623706525b1.html

Hague notes that this is quite an instrument. From rather dim memories of hearing it 30-some years ago, I would agree.

A local organ maven tells me that the Landmark Wurlitzer has not been regularly maintained for years, so its restoration is likely to be neither cheap nor easy.

One hopes that the current restoration’s planners and builders will treat the organ according to the Hippocratic Oath: “[A]bstain from doing harm.”

ADDENDUM (Feb. 24): The Landmark Theater, formerly the Mosque, is now the Altria Theater, formerly the Landmark Theater.