Follies Theater

450 S. State Street,
Chicago, IL 60605

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tomdelay
tomdelay on July 12, 2005 at 3:46 pm

The Gem Theatre installed a 2 manual 4 rank piano console Wurlitzer style 135-C shipped 3/24/1919 from the North Tonawadna, NY factory.
The organ was installed in a factory-built swell-box. It was Wurlitaer opus 213.

The organ was repo’d by Wurlitzer and rebuilt as a style RB-1 church organ with a new console, relay, 8'-4' Principal rank and chests, as well as treble extension chests. The organ is still installed and playing in San Carlos Cathedral in Monterey, CA as a 5 rank unit church organ installed in 1935 by Charles Herschmann from San Francisco.

It is probably not accurate to say the organ was entirely from the Gem Theatre as Wurlitzer used parts from other organs (Bryn Mawr Theatre)as well as the new parts added in 1935. The Vox Humana, Salicional, Concert Flute (with Redwood Bourdon), and Chimes are probably from the Gem Theatre.