Major Chimes
   Wanamaker Grand Court Organ

*Location:

   Macy's Department Store
     (was Wanamaker Department Store)
   John Wanamaker Building
   13th & Market Streets
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
   LL: N 39.95126, W 75.16221

Site locator map

*Player:

   (Staff and guest organists)

*Contact:

   The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, Inc.
   630 Hidden Valley Road
   King of Prussia, PA  19406
   T: (484)684-7250
   E: execdirec/@/wanamakerorgan DOTcom
   - or -
   Wanamaker Organ Curator
   Macy's
   1300 Market Street
   Philadelphia, PA  19107-3302
   T: (215)241-9000

*Schedule:

   Organ concerts Mon-Sat 1200;
   Mon,Tue,Thu,Sat 1730; Wed,Fri 1900;
   may or may not utilize these tubes.

*Remarks:

   Tower tubes by Deagan, comprising the
   "Major Chimes" stop of the largest
   pipe organ in the world, and the only
   Deagan set with more than 32 notes;
   electro-pneumatic action, built by the
   Wanamaker organ shop (not by Deagan),
   with the pneumatic impact of the
   hammers controlled by expression pedal.
   One of only three sets located indoors.
   Originally hung in the back of the
   Ethereal Division, and so under
   expression with that division.
   Relocated in 1920s to present exposed
   position on either side of that
   division.
   An additional tower chime tube, sounding
   low A, is in the Echo division and
   under expression with pipes of that
   chamber; it was supplied by R.H.Mayland
   as a promotional sample.
   The "Minor Chimes" stop is a recycled
   set of orchestral tubular bells (i.e.,
   thin-walled), also by Deagan; planned
   to be replaced by a set from an
   Aeolian organ that is closer to this
   organ's A-435 pitch.
   The Wanamaker store closed in Aug.1995,
   reopened as Lord & Taylor Aug.1997;
   becoming a Macy's store in Aug.2006.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard (from organ) carillon of 37 tubular bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C  in the middle octave
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    NONE  
   There are no missing bass semitones
   The whole instrument was installed in 1917
     with tubular bells made by Deagan      
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2009

On the Website of the organ, a long page about the technical aspects of the organ includes a full paragraph about the Major Chimes.  There is also a section about The John Wanamaker Memorial Founder's Bell, commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker in 1926 as a memorial to his father.

A Smithsonian Magazine article (3 Aug 2015) about the Wanamaker organ includes a gallery of 11 photos, the third of which shows some of the tubular bells of the "Major Chimes".  Opening that photo (via the contextual menu in your Web browser) will enlarge it so that Deagan's stamping on the end of one tube can be seen.  It reads as follows: J.C.DEAGAN,INC. / A435 / CHICAGO / PATENTED

Our article about this instrument and other Wanamaker bells

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the J.C.Deagan Company.

Ranking among all tower tube instruments by size (number of notes).

Index to all tower tube instruments in PA.
Index to all tower bell instruments in PA, including the Founder's Bell.

   This page was built from the database on 12-Oct-12
   based on textual data last updated on 2012/10/12
   and on technical data last updated on 2009/07/04

(none available)