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GAINESWOOD |
| The Flutina (Barrel Organ) Researchers, conservators, sound technicians, and the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) have brought Gaineswood’s most fascinating furnishing back to life. The “Flutina,” as Nathan Bryan Whitfield fondly dubbed his unique barrel organ, is on display in the drawing room, and digital versions of the music are now played during tours. |
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Image of barrel organ |
Cooperation and research in early 2000 among the AHC, Friends of Gaineswood, and Colonial Williamsburg (CW) led to CW conservator David Blanchfield’s visit to Gaineswood in August 2000. Blanchfield disassembled the piece, and he documented it extensively with a digital camera and hand notes. From Williamsburg, Blanchfield sent back digital images of the organ's parts and generated a written assessment of options for conserving the organ and recording the music. AHC staff authorized CW in Spring 2001 to proceed with a treatment would allow for conservation of deteriorated elements and preparation of the Flutina for digital recording. The Flutina was packed up and sent to CW in early June 2001. The project was successful. CW Conservators John Watson and Louis Dolive and recording technicians Chuck Smith and Charles R. White restored, played and recorded the organ as it sounded in May 1859, when organ maker George Hicks of Brooklyn, NY completed the organ and nine customized cylinders, some with Nathan Bryan Whitfield's own songs! The conserved "Flutina" and digital versions of the 90 songs (10 songs per cylinder) were delivered to Gaineswood September 26. |
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How does the organ work, how it was conserved, and how was it recorded?
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