American Treasure Tour

Last updated
American Treasure Tour
Tram Ride in the Band Organ Room.jpg
Visitors take a tram ride through the American Treasure Tour, located in Oaks, PA
American Treasure Tour
Location Oaks, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°07′26″N75°27′20″W / 40.123835°N 75.455555°W / 40.123835; -75.455555
Website http://americantreasuretour.com/

The American Treasure Tour is a tourist attraction established in 2010 and opened to the public for guided tours. Visitors travel through a large private collection that encompasses an eclectic variety of smaller collections. Included is one of the world's largest private collections of automatic music machines: nickelodeons, band organs, calliopes, photoplayers, and music boxes. There are also classic cars, circus art, dolls and dollhouses, and a large assortment of popular culture miscellanea. It is located in the 422 Business Center in the community of Oaks, Pennsylvania, west of Valley Forge National Historical Park just off of U.S. Route 422.

Contents

Background

The collection is located in Oaks, Pennsylvania, in a former B.F. Goodrich tire factory building. The factory was opened in 1937 and active in tire production until its closure in 1986, [1] shortly before Goodrich sold their production line, and the name of their brand, to the Michelin Company. The former plant has since been completely re-purposed. The first floor of the building is currently used for commercial space, including such businesses as the Arnold's Family Fun Center. Most of the second floor, however, is the repository for the collection that comprises the American Treasure Tour. The building complex is 1.2 million square feet while the ATT comprises 100,000 square feet, about the size of a big-box store. [2]

The Collection

The ATT has on display the private collection of one person, who remains anonymous at his request. The collection includes (but is not restricted to): carousel band organs, calliopes, nickelodeons (also known as orchestrions), movie posters and celebrity photographs, vinyl record albums (33-1/3, 48 and 78 speed), Edison cylinder players, antique and modern animated store displays, circus and clown art, pedal cars, model airplanes, and classic cars. [3] A second element is the music box collection, on loan to the ATT by the Music Box Society International (MBSI), an organization of aficionados of automatic music. The ATT is the repository for over one hundred pieces from MBSI's extended collection. Many of these are on display and played for visitors. The MBSI has also utilized the ATT as a site for group meetings. [4]

Layout

The tour consists of two parts: The Music Room, which is predominantly seated with mild walking and The Toy Box, which incorporates a tram ride.

The Music Room

The Music Room has record albums, movie posters and celebrity photographs covering the walls. Located in the room are a majority of the collection's nickelodeons, dolls, dollhouses, and photoplayers, as well as the MBSI music boxes. [5] The guides use modern iPad technology to turn on selected nickelodeons and instructional videos for visitors. Tours include the playing of numerous machines and brief historical stories told by the guide about the era during which the machines were popular. [6] There are over 150 automatic music machines on display in the Music Room. Highlights among them include:

DC Ramey Banjo Orchestra DC Ramey Banjo Orchestra.JPG
DC Ramey Banjo Orchestra

The Toy Box

The Toy Box takes up the majority of the space in the American Treasure Tour. Visitors are driven in an electric tram down lanes displayed with an eclectic collection of Americana on both sides and hanging from the ceiling. Tours are conducted by guides who discuss the items, including: model airplanes, classic cars, more automatic musical instruments, original artwork, movie memorabilia and Disneyana, stuffed animals, animated store displays, motorcycles, and neon signage. [18] Highlights include:

Th. Mortier Dance Hall Organ, The Emperor - Located in the American Treasure Tour Th.Mortier Dance Hall Organ, The Emperor.JPG
Th. Mortier Dance Hall Organ, The Emperor - Located in the American Treasure Tour
1922 Stanley Steamer 1922 Stanley Steamer.JPG
1922 Stanley Steamer

The anonymous owner of the collection that comprises the majority of the American Treasure Tour (sans the MBSI collection) continues to regularly bring in new pieces, which are incorporated into the tours whenever space allows.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drum machine</span> Electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds

A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A drum machine often has pre-programmed beats and patterns for popular genres and styles, such as pop music, rock music, and dance music. Most modern drum machines made in the 2010s and 2020s also allow users to program their own rhythms and beats. Drum machines may create sounds using analog synthesis or play prerecorded samples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jukebox</span> Device to play music

A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that plays a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons with letters and numbers on them, which are used to select specific records. Some may use compact discs instead. Disc changers are similar devices for home use; they are small enough to fit on a shelf and can hold up to hundreds of discs, allowing them to be easily removed, replaced, or inserted by the user.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric organ</span> Electronic keyboard instrument

An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed into several types of instruments:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music box</span> Box that produces musical notes

A music box or musical box is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc to pluck the tuned teeth of a steel comb. The popular device best known today as a "music box" developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and were originally called carillons à musique. Some of the more complex boxes also contain a tiny drum and/or bells in addition to the metal comb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel organ</span> Mechanical musical instrument

A barrel organ is a French mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated. The basic principle is the same as a traditional pipe organ, but rather than being played by an organist, the barrel organ is activated either by a person turning a crank, or by clockwork driven by weights or springs. The pieces of music are encoded onto wooden barrels, which are analogous to the keyboard of the traditional pipe organ. A person who plays a barrel organ is known as an organ grinder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wurlitzer</span> American company of music boxes and instruments

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to defense contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military. In 1880, the company began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe or theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchestrion</span> Generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band

Orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band. Orchestrions may be operated by means of a large pinned cylinder or by a music roll and less commonly book music. The sound is usually produced by pipes, though they will be voiced differently from those found in a pipe organ, as well as percussion instruments. Many orchestrions contain a piano as well. At the Musical Museum in Brentford, examples may be seen and heard of several of the instrument types described below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welte-Mignon</span>

M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York was a manufacturer of orchestrions, organs and reproducing pianos, established in Vöhrenbach by Michael Welte (1807–1880) in 1832.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairground organ</span> Pneumatic musical organ originating from France

A fairground organ is a musical organ covering the wind and percussive sections of an orchestra. Originated in Paris, France, it was designed for use in commercial fairground settings to provide loud music to accompany rides and attractions, mostly merry-go-rounds. Unlike organs for indoor use, they are designed to produce a large volume of sound to be heard above the noises of crowds and fairground machinery.

Seeburg was an American design and manufacturing company of automated musical equipment, such as orchestrions, jukeboxes, and vending equipment. Before it began manufacturing its signature suite of jukebox products, Seeburg was considered to be one of the "big four" of the top coin-operated phonograph companies alongside AMI, Wurlitzer, and Rock-Ola. At the height of jukebox popularity, Seeburg machines were synonymous with the technology and a major quotidian brand of American teenage life. The company went out of business after being sold to Stern Electronics in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeBence Antique Music World</span> Music museum in Pennsylvania, USA

DeBence Antique Music World is a museum in Franklin, Pennsylvania whose collection contains more than 100 antique mechanical musical instruments, including music boxes, band organs, player pianos, a nickelodeon piano, as well as a number of other antiques. Many of the collection's mechanical instruments are rare; a number are among only a few manufactured, and a few are among the last in existence. Although the collection's value cannot be measured, an offer for a sum of multiple millions of dollars was once rejected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Street organ</span> Portable, automatic mechanical pneumatic musical instrument

A street organ played by an organ grinder is a French automatic mechanical pneumatic organ designed to be mobile enough to play its music in the street. The two most commonly seen types are the smaller German and the larger Dutch street organ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q. David Bowers</span> American numismatist, author, and columnist

Quentin David Bowers is an American numismatist, author, and columnist. Beginning in 1952, Bowers’s contributions to numismatics have continued uninterrupted and unabated to the present day. He has been involved in the selling of rare coins since 1953 when he was a teenager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photoplayer</span> Mechanical orchestra used in silent films

The photoplayer is an automatic mechanical orchestra used by movie theatres to produce photoplay music to accompany silent films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Musical Instrument Museum</span> Museum in Germany

The Berlin Musical Instrument Museum is located at the Kulturforum on Tiergartenstraße in Berlin, Germany. The museum holds over 3,500 musical instruments from the 16th century onward and is one of the largest and most representative musical instrument collections in Germany. Objects include a portable harpsichord once owned by Prussia's Queen Sophie Charlotte, flutes from the collection of Frederick the Great, and Benjamin Franklin's glass harmonica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musical Museum, Brentford</span>

The Musical Museum is a charity, museum and concert venue located in Brentford, London Borough of Hounslow, a few minutes' walk from Kew Bridge railway station. Its stated purpose is to conserve, preserve, and develop nationally important collections related to the history of music reproduction; inform, engage and entertain the public regarding the evolution of music reproduction; and conserve, preserve, promote and present the theatre pipe organ as an instrument with a significant role in the development of light music on radio and in the cinema and as a musical art form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulbransen</span> Gulbrasen Piano Company

Gulbransen Company was a musical instrument manufacturer of player pianos and home organs in the United States. It also made reed organs. It was originally established in 1904 by Axel Gulbransen as Gulbransen Piano Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Musical Museum</span>

The Virginia Musical Museum is a museum located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. A collection of over forty years is combined with donations from famous Virginia music artists. Making up the museum are rare, antique musical instruments, mechanical music machines, phonographs and many personal items from Virginia artists. The museum opened its doors to the public on June 22, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nethercutt Collection</span> Private car collection in Los Angeles, California

TheNethercutt Collection is a multi-storied museum and car collection complex located in Sylmar, California. It was founded by J.B. Nethercutt in 1971 and its centerpiece is the prestigious automobile collection of the Nethercutt-Richards family that contains over 250 cars, nearly all of which J.B. originally collected and owned. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest car museums in the world.§

References

  1. "Goodrich said it will close its Oaks, Pa., tire plant". Los Angeles Times.
  2. "American Treasure Tour – Mindblowing Collection of Americana - Retro Roadmap". retroroadmap.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  3. "American Treasure Tour". Atlas Obscura.
  4. Knowles Little. "Musical Box Society International, National Capital Chapter". mbsi.org.
  5. "Search Results - RoadsideAmerica.com". roadsideamerica.com.
  6. "Search Results - RoadsideAmerica.com". roadsideamerica.com.
  7. "North Tonawanda History Museum © "The Harps of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company"". nthistorymuseum.org. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  8. "Paul Eakins' Wurlitzer IX Nickelodeon - Fantastic Honky Tonk Barroom Piano (Official Release) - CD Baby Music Store". cdbaby.com.
  9. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.679.
  10. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.520
  11. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.681
  12. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.538
  13. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.679.
  14. Bowers, p.614
  15. Bowers, Q. David, "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments" (The Vestal Press, NYC, NY, 1972), p.618
  16. "Banjo-Orchestra". dcramey.com.
  17. "Music Box Society, International". American Treasure Tour.
  18. "American Treasure Tour". visitpa.com.
  19. Bowers, Q. David (1972). Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments . NYC, NY: The Vestal Press. p.  896.
  20. "Carousel Music Sadie Mae Band Organ". bandorganmusic.com.
  21. "Wedding Central's "If The Shoe Fits" stunt hosted by Yours truly!". Diann Valentine Living Well. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  22. "ConferenceBike - Eric Staller - Home". conferencebike.com. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  23. "Popsicle Sticks Galore at Mattatuck Museum Discovery Club" (PDF) (Press release). Mattatuck Museum. 15 December 2009.