Dutch Street Organs

Dutch street organs (unlike the simple street organ) are large organs that play book music. They are equipped with multiple ranks of pipes and percussion. As originally built the organ was operated by the ‘organ grinder’ turning a large handle to operate both the bellows/reservoir and the card feed mechanism.

Draaiorgel in Tilburg, Nederland — Dutch Street Organ in Tilburg, The Netherlands

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Holländische Straßenorgeln

Órganos Callejeros Holandeses

Dutch Street Organ Broadway in Haarlem, The Netherlands

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Nederlandse Draaiorgels

Organes de Rue Hollandais

荷兰街头风琴

Almost all street organs in the Netherlands have now been converted to belt drive from a small battery powered motor or donkey engine, allowing the organ grinder to collect money. Slightly smaller than the semi-trailer-sized fairground organ the Dutch street organ is nevertheless able to produce enough volume to be heard easily on a busy street corner. Modern Dutch street organs are frequently trailer mounted, and sized for towing behind a pickup or other light truck. Some have a small engine on the front of the chassis allowing them to be self-propelled.