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Allison Alcorn-OppedahlTrinity International University Deerfield, Illinois
Robert F. Gellerman. The American Reed Organ and the Harmonium: A Treatise on Its History, Restoration and Tuning, with Descriptions of Some Outstanding Collections, Including a Stop Dictionary and a Directory of Reed Organs. Vestal, N.Y.: The Vestal Press, Ltd., 1996. ix, 303 pp.: 437 black-and-white illus., diagrams, charts. ISBN: 1-879511-07-X cloth; 1-879511-12-6 paper. $39.95 cloth, $29.95 paper.
Robert R. [i.e., F.] Gellerman. Gellerman's International Reed Organ Atlas. Second edition. Lanham, Md.: Vestal Press, Inc., 1998. xiii, 316 pp.: 190 black-and-white illus. ISBN: 1-879511-34-7. $35.00 (cloth).
Robert Gellerman pioneered in the field of reed organ research with the publication of
The American Reed Organ
in 1973. That work served as an impetus for the formation of the Reed Organ Society as well as encouraging new research concerning the reed organ. His 1996 volume is described by the publisher as ''more than just a new edition'' in light of the substantial additions of information, along with photographs, diagrams, and drawings. Indeed, the collection of photographs and company advertisements is what makes the 1996
American Reed Organ
a worthy complement to one's research library. Gellerman has assembled a remarkable compilation of manufacturers' advertisements and contemporary descriptions of the instruments that tell the story of the reed organ as
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only primary documents can. These documents not only provide a fascinating glimpse into another time and place, but are indispensable evidence of the importance of the reed organ in turn-of-the-century society.
Unfortunately, organizational problems make this truly valuable compilation of illustrations difficult to use efficiently. While the acknowledgments section at the end of the book serves as an adequate index to the 437 figures, gaps appear where perhaps the source is unknown: for example, figures 433-37 are completely unidentified. Moreover, ''figure'' includes everything from period and modern photographs to diagrams, charts, and reproductions of letters, invitations, and reed organ music. All...