Atlantic City

[peterthekeys]

Yesterday, I was reading about the progress of the restoration project of the Midmer-Losh at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall (yes, the Big One):

http://www.boardwalkhall.com/arena-i...ns/midmer-losh

Apparently, they've got 25% of it working now, and by the end of next year, hopefully that will have gone up to 50% (the main job is re-leathering. One imagines that they're getting through a lot of sheep and cows.) Given sufficient funding, the project's expected to complete by 2023. Having got rid of the asbestos from several of the chambers, they're now starting to take members of the public on guided tours (think that's going to be added to my itinerary at some point.)

There's an awesome recording of the blowers starting up (probably one of the few bits left working a few years ago.) Think Concorde revving up on the runway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRpCVs3GvfY

[ardcarp]

Thanks for posting that up, ptk! Fascinating but vulgar and...well...ridiculous in every respect but its presumed entry in the Guiness Book of Records! Can you imagine sitting at the flight deck and hoping to make music? [Or even find middle C ?]

[Vox Humana]

I can't help but agree with ardcap. The whole thing is completely OTT. Judging from meagre sound clips I've heard, it wouldn't figure in my list of the top 2,000 musical instruments. I currently reside not a million miles from a four-manual foghorn about which I am quite frequently rather rude, but the Boardwalk Hall organ serves to make me appreciate what a masterpiece the Foghorn actually must be. That said, the Boardwalk Hall organ is unquestionably a totally unique thing and for that reason is most definitely worth restoring and preserving. I tend to view it in much the same way as an envelope that dropped through my door during my more tender years. This contained a newly published "realisation" of Merbecke's Communion Service with a virtuoso, contemporary-idiom organ accompaniment, which the publisher had sent as a complimentary copy to my organ tutor and which, for my instruction, he had endorsed, "May this be an awful warning 2 U".

[Finzi4ever]

[QUOTE=Vox Humana;511589] I currently reside not a million miles from a four-manual foghorn about which I am quite frequently rather rude, but the Boardwalk Hall organ serves to make me appreciate what a masterpiece the Foghorn actually must be. QUOTE]

I love quizzes! Go on, drop us all the odd clue or six so we can start guessing the instrument/location.

[Vox Humana]

Alas, I think that would give too much away. :)

[gurnemanz]

.... and thanks for reminding me about the Louis Malle movie which I remember loving at the time (1980) and is long due a revisit.