The Sonic Mount Rushmore
By Krystle J Bailey
Hidden in the walls, ceilings, and basement of historic Boardwalk Hall lies Atlantic City’s biggest hidden treasure. The Midmer-Losh pipe organ, a historic instrumental giant, made its original debut in 1932 and roared beautiful music through the walls of Boardwalk Hall for 12 short years before it was damaged in a 1944 hurricane that flooded parts of the building. The Midmer-Losh organ, the largest organ in the world, could only function at about 15-20% following the damage.
Boardwalk Hall has been used for decades housing concerts, shows, graduations, sports tournaments, and more. Many visitors have walked through the the hallways without ever knowing that the sleeping giant lie in between the walls. In 2013, the organ was played during the Miss America pageant, which was the first time it had been played publicly in over 40 years.
In 2014, the Historic Organ Restoration Committee, a 501c3 organization, began a $16 million, ten-year restoration project to bring the organ back to full functioning capacity. Lead by Curator of Organs since 2015, Nathan Bryson, the organ is now functioning beautifully just shy of the 50% mark for the first time in 40 years.
Pipe organs are made up of three materials: wood, metal, and leather. Leather is the most perishable material and what the committee spends most of their time restoring. Each valve or pallet being restored holds thirty leather pouches. Each pouch, when played, presses down and allows air to flow into the pipe. The pouches are all being intricately replaced by hand. To give you an idea of how large the organ is, each pallet of pouches holds thirty pouches. There is at least one pallet per pipe and the organ is made up of 33,112 pipes. 600-horsepower worth of blowers is held in the basement that provide the compressed air that brings the music to life. In addition to the replacing of the leather, there is also intricate wiring work that is being done by skilled volunteers and committee members.
The detailed work that is going into the restoration project is truly massive and remarkable. Sitting in the seats at Boardwalk Hall and hearing the organ play Pomp and Circumstance will give you chills. It is an experience that must be had if you have the chance. To think that the powerful music emanating from the historic organ at 50% functionality is amazing, we can not wait to experience what it will sound like at 100%!
If you’re in Atlantic City this summer, you’ll have plenty of opportunity. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, free public concerts will be held every Monday through Friday. You can visit www.boardwalkorgans.org for show and tour information. Visit them on Facebook at Pipe Organs of Boardwalk Hall for live streamed concerts and up to date information. Donation and volunteer opportunities are also available.
