1890s Crescent Oak Pump Organ Made for Harding & Miller

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Introduce a breathtaking piece of musical history and industrial heritage into your space. This stunning late-Victorian parlor reed organ was … Read more Introduce a breathtaking piece of musical history and industrial heritage into your space. This stunning late-Victorian parlor reed organ was built by the Crescent Organ Company, Model S26 (Serial No. 196305), and stamped "Manufactured Expressly for Harding & Miller," the premier historic luxury music house of the Midwest. Crafted entirely from beautifully grained solid quarter-sawn golden oak, the instrument boasts a striking architectural low-back silhouette. It features exquisite openwork lyre cutouts on the flanking upper panels and deep, stylized leaf carvings across the music desk. A distinctive functional highlight of this Crescent cabinet design is the integrated, lift-up hidden compartment located directly above the key slip, historically utilized for concealing prized sheet music, performance journals, or family valuables.

This instrument carries a deeply rich, highly documented local history. It was originally purchased brand new as a milestone gift for young Martha Slater—daughter of the prominent owner of the historic Washington Manufacturing Company. Picked from the exclusive catalog of Harding & Miller, the organ became a cherished centerpiece of the family home, played continuously by Martha and her sister for nearly a century. The instrument remained in her loving possession, serving as a soundtrack to generations of family gatherings, right up until Martha transitioned into an assisted living facility in the 1980s. The original factory stamps and numbers remain crisply preserved on the rear casing. See less