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Schmoele


BrianShaw

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Hello,

 

I am researching the Schmoele Brothers (William Ford and Henry) who had several 19th century US patents for electrifying organs. My specific interest is in their electro-magentic orchestra that was displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.

 

I have copies of their US patents and several references (from the WWW) of organs that used their technology. I have also done extensive genealogical research on the Schmoele family in the US. William F and Henry seem to have disappeared from the US around the 1890s. I suspect that they may have relocated to Europe and have seen one reference that suggests they may have had a company on Antwerp.

 

Can anyone help steer me toward information about their existance/business activities? I will sincerely appreciate any information!

 

Sincerely,

Brian Shaw

shaw-brian-e@sbcglobal.net

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Hello,

 

I am researching the Schmoele Brothers (William Ford and Henry) who had several 19th century US patents for electrifying organs.  My specific interest is in their electro-magentic orchestra that was displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.

 

I have copies of their US patents and several references (from the WWW) of organs that used their technology.  I have also done extensive genealogical research on the Schmoele family in the US.  William F and Henry seem to have disappeared from the US around the 1890s.  I suspect that they may have relocated to Europe and have seen one reference that suggests they may have had a company on Antwerp.

 

Can anyone help steer me toward information about their existance/business activities?  I will sincerely appreciate any information!

 

Sincerely,

Brian Shaw

shaw-brian-e@sbcglobal.net

 

==================

 

Well now, the Europoean connection and the possibility of Antwerp certainly sounds plausible, due to the fact that the Belgian organ-builder Anneessens used the Schmoele patents for his Pitman-style chest actions, but "I think" with an additional name tagged on, which may or may not have been "Schmoele & Mols." Give me a bit of time, and I can probably find this, or at least know where to find it.

 

I'm sorry, but I cannot help with the American history, which I know nothing about.

 

Of course, the evidence of "Schmoele and Mols" does tend suggest a different search; presumably even in America.

 

MM

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==================

 

Of course, the evidence of "Schmoele and Mols" does tend suggest a different search; presumably even in America.

 

 

Good point! An online source indicates that "Mols" is Alexis Mols, an American, who had an 1881 patent with W. F. Schmoele.

 

That's one step closer to knowing more...

 

Thanks! I look forward to any other insights that you may have.

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Good point!  An online source indicates that "Mols" is Alexis Mols, an American, who had an 1881 patent with W. F. Schmoele.

 

That's one step closer to knowing more...

 

Thanks!  I look forward to any other insights that you may have.

 

====================

 

I'm stumbling in the dark a little, but I recalled something I had previously read on-line about both the organ-builder Merklin in France (?) and Adema in the Netherlands; both of whom used the Schmoel & Mols patent action.

 

I came across the following concerning Merklin's involvement with electric-action, which may furnish clues:-

 

Joseph Merklin, Notice sur l'électricité appliquée au grandes orgues, Paris, Lyon, E. Watelet, 1887, 14 pp.

 

From another source comes the following, which seems to confirm the existence of the two American gentlemen operating in Antwerp:-

 

L ' organ of the Church of Blessed Sacrament, Lyon, installed in 1914, was built in 1913-1914 by the Manufacture of organ MERKLIN and KUHN......... the patent, was deposited in 1881, by SCHMOELE and MOLS, engineers in Antwerp.

 

Another step nearer, hopefully?

 

MM

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MM, thanks for your interest and support of my research effort... and for the information in your last post. Little by little I seem to be learning more. Some of the information I've seen before but it is coming together a bit better now.

 

I am starting a list of the organs that originally used the Schmoele-Mols technology. There are 6 or so that I've found descriptions of on the internet that mention this. All of the organs are European... I haven't yet found mention of these men in the Americal organbuilding literature (but I'll keep looking).

 

The online Biographical Dictionary of Organists lists both William Ford Schmoele and Alexis Mols as organ inventors with an 1881 patent that is "the first patent with the armeture-pallet combination in electro-pneumatic actions". In fact, he patented this type of mechanism in 1873, so I'm curious what exactly this 1881 patent is. Unfortunately this resource does not specfiy the patent number.

 

I will continue to seek information on this 1881 patent, but the US Patent Office doesn't make it easy since the 19th century (and earlier) patents are not searchable by inventors name on the USPTO.gov search engine.

 

What I know for sure is that W.F. Schmoele was living in Antwerp in the 1920s since he made mention of this in a US patent he filed for a motorcycle. I haven't yet found anything about Mols. I searched the US census and can't find anyone with that name in the US. The only Alexis Mols I can find contemporary to that era was a Belgian Leuitenant General. There is an American Alexis Mols who is an organ music composer, but he was born in 1922.

 

If you are interested I'd like to send you a PDF copy of an article I published on mechanical musical instruments at the 1876 Centennial Exhibiiton. The research I am currenlty engaged in is for a follow-up article specifically discussing the technology developments of Schmoele (and now Mols).

 

I'll be on business travel for a few days and will not have access to internet, so please understand if my next posting is somewhat delayed.

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