This is an ad from the Phoenix here in Brattleboro in June of 1879. I include it here for all of you with dirty minds.
Transcription:
The Self-Organist
A New and Novel Invention,
Enabling any one to play the organ
without instruction.
To see it is to admire it! — to understand it is to
marvel at its simplicity! — to hear it will be a delightful
surprise! — to possess it will be a joy and blessing!
It can be attached in One Minute’s time to
any Organ.
Adapted to instruments of all makers.
Manufactured by
The Self-Organist M’f’g Company,
Brattleboro, VT
Agents Wanted!
Every home should have one!
Attached to any organ in just one minute….THAT is impressive!
So many of these old advertisements are inadvertently risque – they can be pretty funny.
Ha!
Self-organing appears to be timeless.
I like that it comes from a M’f’g company, too. Could abbreviate from a few things.
"for all of you with dirty minds"
As a sexual animal, I must mildly protest the use of the phrase dirty minds. Perhaps sexy minds, as an alternate?
:~)
I was curious about this
I was curious about this device. I wonder if any still exist, or if there are photographs. I found this article which seems to focus on how the perforated scrolls are manufactured, rather than on how the actual device plays the keys.
https://books.google.com/books?id=O2JYAAAAYAAJ&lpg=RA5-PA65&ots=ptWYXZae8p&dq=The%20%22Self-Organist%22%20%20Company%2C%20%20Brattleboro%2C%20VT&pg=RA5-PA65&ci=636%2C557%2C301%2C708&source=bookclip
(Lower right on page 65)
Neat
Very helpful info there…
Sounds like a music box-like device that would be attached to a full keyboard. Player piano style music to change songs. Hand crank for power.
I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to make something similar today for an organ or piano.