Rushden Research Group: Mr Mills' fairground organ

Mr Mills' Fairground Organ


A group of Christmas shoppers in 1968 watch and listen to Arthur Mills' fairgound organ which had been set up in College Street

Part of the sights and sounds of festivals, events and celebrations in the first half of the last century was the fairground organ. Even today, the evocative appeal of their sound will recall for many people the fairs, fetes and fun of their childhood. Even if the entertainment is not sophisticated by today's standards, the solid engineering which went into these large devices certainly was.

In the middle of the last century, a 1902 Gavioli organ was obtained and preserved by Rushden businessman Mr Arthur Mills, who was President of the Fair Organ Society, and he made it available for fundraising activities around Rushden. It was later sent to a funfair at Southport.

Movie

One of the short cine films Bill Houghton made in 1968 was of Arthur Mills' fairground organ being used in College Street to advertise the pantomime at the Ritz. There is even a short view of the folding book of perforated pages which synchronised the music of these organs as each page was loaded. The film has been digitised and edited for web transmission. You will need the Quicktime Player to view it. If you don't have it installed on your machine, click here to download it.

The movie will open in a small new window. It may take a short while to load, even with a DSL/broadband connection. Once it has loaded, click on the "Play" icon to view the film.

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Click here to see Bill Houghton's cine film

A very rare photo of Arthur Mills' organ, in situ,
on "James Crichton's Palace of Varieties & Bioscope Cinematograph Show" in 1902.


Arthur Mills at the Organ Shed at the Express Drycleaning Works, Wellingborough Road	My Dad (Jack Perkins) and the Mills' Fairground Organ, c.1967 (From the collection of Jon Anton)


The Fairground Organ outside The Rose & Crown, College Street. This was a familiar sight during the pre-Christmas period each year. Note Father Christmas with his collecting bucket for charities, and Jon Anton in the fur-collared coat standing at the rear of the organ.	Arthur Mills' Showman's Burrell Traction Engine "Princess Mary" outside the Express Drycleaning Works in 1961/2 (From the collection of Jon Anton)

Mr Arthur Mills - Express Dry Cleaners