Balfour Memorial Wonder Morton – Quick Facts

Experience the sound of the Theatre Pipe Organ

4/23 WONDER MORTON THEATRE PIPE ORGAN
At Loew’s Jersey
Quick Facts

4 Manuals / 23 Ranks / 1799 Pipes
7 tuned percussions
9 non tuned percussions
10 sound effects (toy counter)

 

 

 

 

 

Pedal18 pipe stops, 4 percussion stops, 3 couplers
Accompaniment Manual – 35 pipe stops, 9 percussion stops, 1 coupler
Great Manual – 71 pipe stops, 5 percussion stops, 4 couplers
Orchestral Manual27 pipe stops, 4 percussion stops, 3 couplers
Solo Manual26 pipe stops, 5 percussion stops, 1 coupler
TOTAL STOPS 177 pipe stops, 27 percussion stops, 12 couplers

Tremulants- 12 trems controlled by 10 pistons
Console operation – Air & pneumatics.
Second Touch — Accompaniment & Great Manuals

Ten divisional combination pistons for each manual
Twenty general combination pistons

Blower – 25 HP Spencer Orgoblo
Electronic relay – Z-tronics

Restored Keydesk Closeup

Original Builder – Robert Morton Pipe Organ Company, Van Nuys, CA. 
First installation 1929 – Loew’s Paradise, Grand Concourse, Bronx, N.Y. 

Second installation 2008 – Loew’s Jersey, Journal Square, Jersey City, N.J.
Restoration/Installation timeframe: 1997-2008 = 11 Years  
Restoration/Installation Crew Chief: Bob Martin   
Crew Members Past & Present: 21 individuals (Several are now deceased.)    
Technical Advisor: Brant Duddy  
Chamber Layout: Bob Martin 
Console Stop Specification Advisors: Clark Wilson & Simon Gledhill      
Console Decorative Paint & Gold Leaf: Barbara Meise, ArtBuilders, Inc. 
Donated
Tuning: Bob Martin  
Voicing/Tonal Finishing: Ed Zollman
Donated Moving Services: Bruce Pearson, ABC Movers via Sy Mendel

Donated Fork Lift Services: Suburban Fork Lift, Inc. Prospect Park, N.J. via Sy Mendel
ATOS Recognition: Organ Registered as a Level I Heritage Instrument
ATOS Crew Chief Certificate of service awardee: Bob Martin

“Wedding Cake” Console Decoration with Original Bench and Music Desk

Original Loew’s Jersey Rotating Lift

Restored Wireless Slave Keyboard

Remote Wireless Slave Keyboard plays the Orchestral Manual.

GSTOS founder Bob Balfour arranged for the acquisition of the instrument. He paid part of the purchase price out of his own pocket, and the rest was treated as a donation to GSTOS from the seller.  GSTOS then spent $80,000 on parts and outside services to restore the organ using donated labor from the volunteer organ crew. (A sister organ, restored and installed entirely by professionals in a California theatre cost over half a million dollars.)

One of 5 virtually identical organs installed in the Loews NYC area Wonder  Theatres in 1929, it is the ONLY one playing in a Wonder Theatre today.

St. George Slaying the Dragon. Clock Animation At the top of the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre

 

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