Estey Harmonium
The Estey Harmonium
Among the keyboard instruments in Jef Raskin’s collection was an Estey harmonium, a type of reed organ manufactured by the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, Vermont.
What Is a Harmonium?
A harmonium produces sound by forcing air over metal reeds using foot-operated bellows. Unlike a pipe organ, which uses pipes of different lengths and materials, a harmonium relies on vibrating reeds similar to those in a harmonica or accordion. The result is a warm, intimate sound quite different from the grand tones of a pipe organ. Harmoniums were popular in homes, churches, and schools from the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century.
The Estey Company
The Estey Organ Company was one of the most prominent American manufacturers of reed organs, producing instruments from the 1850s through the 1960s. Estey organs were known for their quality of construction and tonal character. Surviving Estey instruments are valued by collectors and musicians for their craftsmanship and distinctive sound.
Raskin’s Keyboard Instruments
The harmonium was part of Raskin’s broader engagement with keyboard instruments, which also included building a pipe organ and a harpsichord. His interest in these instruments was both musical and mechanical — he appreciated them as feats of engineering as much as sources of music.
Preservation
These photographs document the instrument and contribute to the historical record of both Raskin’s musical life and the Estey Organ Company’s legacy.