The Collection

In addition to the theatre organs, the Organ Theatre contains a unique collection of mechanical (self-playing) musical instruments that our founder, Mr. Charles Hart, began collecting nearly half a century ago.

At that time the full value of these instruments was not fully appreciated and, in the case of the large dance organs, these were actually being discarded and many even destroyed. Fortunately, Mr. Hart was able to collect them at a time when there was very little interest in them.

It would be very difficult in present times to accumulate all these instruments, even with an endless supply of funds, and the collection at St. Albans Organ Theatre remains to this day as one of the foremost collections of mechanical musical instruments.

Ken Slow, 2007