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Fitton & Hayley

Started by ComptonNewbie, February 08, 2012, 12:20:09 AM

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ComptonNewbie

Can anyone advise of the style of draw stop knobs or stop tabs used on Fitton & Hayley (later Binns, Fitton & Hayley) organs?  I am interested in the few instruments they built for cinemas.  I believe some parts from at least a couple (Colwyn Bay & Scarborough are still in existence, but without much idea what original parts would look like, I am sure to overlook much in my searches.

The only image I have been able to find is a drawn catalogue illustration of a console which shows little which might be specific to this builder.

Regards,  Simon.

revtonynewnham

Hi Simon

There's a picture of a Fitton & Hayley organ, formerly in the Greengates Cinema, Bradford, at http://www.kingsdr.demon.co.uk/cinemas/ggates.htm#organ

This shows stop tabs, not drawstops.

Every Blessing

Tony

ComptonNewbie

Thanks Tony.  I'd seen the picture in a few contexts before, but that is the most accessible.  Being a drawing for a catalogue illustration, I wouldn't read too much into it.  It was probably produced before the F&H made one, if anything like other advertisers of the period.  The illustration drums up interest, and one is only built if that interest becomes a firm order.  In any case, unfortunately it doesn't show any specific detail of engraving style or standard fittings to expect on an F&H cinema console.

I believe the larger (tubular pneumatic) instruments such as the Capitol, Scarborough probably had drawstops, not tabs, but have never seen a photograph of either style. 

Regards,  Simon.

David Pinnegar

Dear Simon

I seem to recall you were looking for original stoptabs .. . .

These are the ones I have to which you're welcome:


Best wishes

David P

ComptonNewbie

Hi David.

Any ideas on the origins of these (or even where in the country they might have originated?  They seem a very close match of F&H terminology for a few cinema organs.  Surprising colour scheme for the tabs - to the extent the colours make some labels diffucult to read!  What does the upper green one say, as I can't make it out even with the help of Mr Photoshop?

I presume they are a hard 'old' feeling plastic (close the bakelite) rather than the more shiney and slightly softer plastics of the 1960s?

Regards,  Simon.

David Pinnegar

Hi!

I bought them from a retiring organ builder from Derby among a large collection of stop heads, stop labels and stop-rods some of which are clearly significantly historic and I used a handful of stop labels for the extra stops on the Hammerwood concert instrument.

I can't place the sort of plastic used for these stoptabs but having "Orchestral to Grand" variations, they came clearly from a theatre/cinema instrument without the Hope-Jones influence with Hohl Flute etc rather than the Tibia tradition.

The blank one on the right of different shape is clearly bakelite. Whilst some of the others perhaps have the feeling of ABS others are more ivorine in texture and in view of parkesine being noted to be like ivory, might have been used or perhaps an early plastic made from casein.

The difficult to read tabs are
Green - Tamborne and Cymbal
Translucent yellow - Clarionet and Trumpet
Dark blue or green - Orchestral to Grand
Red - Grand super octave and Orchestral Super Oct to Grand

I don't understand why couplers to Grand (presumably piano) should come in standard ivory, green/blue and red.

Keeping them uncleaned until appropriately re-used appeared to be part of their heritage . . . I thought at one stage that they might be nicotine stained, but it's probably simply an accumulation of dirt from many years' use.

Best wishes

David P


AnOrganCornucopia

BF&H (Marshall Sykes) built one cinema organ post-war, for the Cecil in Hull. It was removed in the 1990s but survives, in storage. I've heard a recording of it and it's pretty nice. If anyone knows of a possible home for this interesting instrument...

Meanwhile, here are some pictures:
http://www.davesden.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cecil-gal3.html

Melotone

Quote from: AnOrganCornucopia on February 19, 2012, 10:04:12 AM
BF&H (Marshall Sykes) built one cinema organ post-war, for the Cecil in Hull. It was removed in the 1990s but survives, in storage. I've heard a recording of it and it's pretty nice. If anyone knows of a possible home for this interesting instrument...

Meanwhile, here are some pictures:
http://www.davesden.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cecil-gal3.html

The organ was sold and transported to Diss near Norfolk last year, and is currently being sorted for restoration down there :) I remember the long day moving it out of its storage unit and into the wagon rather well !

CH

jjbinns

this may or may not be of use but if you go to rochdale town hall the binns fitton and haley organ installed there has been lovingly restored and is as it left the factory

David Drinkell

Rochdale Town Hall is an original J.J. Binns!  Binns, Fitton and Haley was the firm's title after Binns's death and their work was not on the same level at all.  There were, however, a couple of nice late Binns two-manual jobs (built in the firm's last years after the Fitton and Haley bit had been dropped) in St. Barnabas and St. Silas, Belfast, both built in the 1950s and both gone (although I believe the St. Silas organ, at least, went into storage)