News

A set of four spectacular navigable panoramic images of the Boardwalk Hall organs and their respective acoustic spaces has been added to the Gallery section of our website.

Press Release -- June 11, 2007

The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc has announced the appointment of Carl Loeser, a New Jersey native from Plainfield, as the new Curator of the pipe organs in Boardwalk Hall (The Atlantic City Convention Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He brings a variety of expertise to the position, having worked in the pipe organ field for 30 years. His responsibilities will be to oversee the restoration of the 7-manual, 449-rank Midmer-Losh pipe organ in the main auditorium, along with the 4-manual, 55-rank Kimball pipe organ in the Ballroom.

He is looking forward to working with the Boardwalk Hall staff and is thrilled with the opportunity to be directly involved with both of these historic organs that have been left largely unattended since December 1998 with the retirement of the third Curator in succession, Dennis McGurk.

The Midmer-Losh Pipe Organ has recently received a grant of $100,000 from the Federal Government's prestigious Save America's Treasures program.

With $1.2M funding from New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority in place, work has already started in the Midmer-Losh pipe chambers with the installation of new lighting and a sophisticated fire suppression system. More funds will be needed to complete the Herculean restoration task that lies ahead.

A project to restore the Ballroom Kimball pipe organ has been approved and funded. The Right Stage chamber of the Midmer-Losh organ in the main auditorium is scheduled to be brought back online as it was in 1998 at the time The ACCHOS Auditorium Organ CD was recorded, and prior to the massive building renovation that took place from 1999-2002. Boardwalk Hall is now rated as one of the very best large-scale entertainment venues in America.

The pipe organ curatorial chair is dedicated to the late Lillian Levy, an Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc. (HORC) board member, three times the chairperson of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and a great champion of the arts in Southern New Jersey.

Press Release -- December 14, 2006

A “Save America's Treasures” Grant of $100,000 Has Been Awarded to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to Support Restoration of the Midmer-Losh Pipe Organ in Boardwalk Hall

The historically significant Midmer-Losh pipe organ in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall (formerly Convention Hall) under the auspices of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, has received one of the nation's most prestigious awards. A "Save America's Treasures" grant of $100,000 has been awarded in recognition of the world's largest pipe organ and the present ongoing mission to restore it to its former glory.

The grant reads: Built in 1928, the Midmer-Losh Pipe Organ is the largest, loudest and most complex working musical instrument ever constructed and remains a functional and integral component of the National Historic Landmark Hall (Boardwalk Hall). The $100,000 grant will support restoration of the organ.

This grant marks an important fund raising effort, and acknowledges both the historical significance of this amazing instrument and the need to restore the pipe organ housed in Boardwalk Hall which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and also designated a National Historical Landmark.

Save America’s Treasures is a national effort to protect "America's threatened cultural treasures, including historic structures, collections, works of art, maps and journals that document and illuminate the history and culture of the United States." Established by Executive Order in February 1998, Save America's Treasures was originally founded as the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration and as a public-private partnership that included the White House, the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of America's priceless historic legacy, Save Americas Treasures works to help ensure that future generations will have opportunity to experience our past and understand our identity as a community and as a nation. www.saveamericastreasures.org

Updated December 10, 2006

Las Vegas Casino mogul Steve Wynn is teaming up with Donald Trump to create a $3 billion mega-resort in Atlantic City that could dominate the heart of the Boardwalk. There is talk about their wish to demolish Boardwalk Hall for their project. The following letter has been written by ACCHOS to the Press of Atlantic City:

EDITOR

Boardwalk Hall should not be demolished for a casino development. Boardwalk Hall is not only listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, but also has been designated a National Historical Landmark.

National Historic Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in American history and culture.

The Statement of Significance for Boardwalk Hall's designation as a National Historic Landmark reads in part: "The remaining edifice that best recalls the city's historic heyday as a seaside resort. Is the largest structure on the Boardwalk and is significant in the history of large-span structures, containing, when it was built, the largest room with an unobstructed view and the largest pipe organ in the world."

The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc. has been established in Atlantic City to oversee the restoration of this famous pipe organ – the greatest musical instrument ever created in world history. For details about the organ please visit www.acchos.org <http://www.acchos.org>

It would be a shame to destroy this wonderful musical instrument.

Sincerely,

Charles Swisher
Vice President
The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ Society, Inc.

Restoration Approved

The Trustees of the Historic Organ Restoration Committee (HORC) have approved the initial restoration of the Ballroom Kimball organ, along with the restoration of the five-manual console for the Midmer-Losh organ. Plans call for the Kimball's console to be removed from its 'organ balcony' position and mounted on a platform dolly for placement on the stage area of the Ballroom. This will be a dramatic improvement for the audience and organist alike. In time, the instrument's original grand piano will be sited in the 'organ balcony'. This piano was sold off years ago but, through the efforts of ACCHOS, was located, purchased, and returned in pieces to the hall, where it rests in the organ workroom pending funding of a restoration project.

The five-manual portable console for the Midmer-Losh will be restored and fitted with the latest digital technology to permit future interface with the organ. This will mean that a downstage center position can be achieved for the console for recitals, permitting the organist to hear the entire instrument from the most ideal location.

The HORC has also approved a position for a new Curator and a selection process is underway. It goes without saying that the presence of a full time Curator will have a significant impact on the future preservation and restoration of both organs in Boardwalk Hall.

DVD Video

A new DVD video is now available. It details the history of the Midmer-Losh organ and has a variety of special features, plus interviews with former hall organists and others, including remarkable new videos taken inside the Stage Chambers. A collage of the historic Fred Hess & Son photographs is set to music. Here are the Sights, Sounds and Stories about the World's Largest Musical Instrument.

View trailer: QuickTime | RealVideo

The DVD is available online in the Store section on this website or it may be ordered directly from the Organ Historical Society.

Historic Citations

On October 26, 2004, the Organ Historical Society presented two Historic Citations, one for each pipe organ in Boardwalk Hall during a formal ceremony held on the stage in the Main Auditorium. Members of ACCHOS and the Historic Organ Restoration Committee were present and the general public was also invited. The event was videotaped and portions appear on the new ACCHOS DVD.

The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc.

The Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc. has been established in New Jersey as a non-profit organization to oversee the funding and restoration of the pipe organs in Boardwalk Hall. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has established a special account with $1.17 million available to begin the process. "The Board of Directors of ACCHOS have recommended dividing the initial funds between full restoration of the Ballroom Kimball and returning the Right Stage Chamber of the Midmer-Losh to the playable condition existing in 1998 prior to hall renovation."

Organ Tours and Concerts

There are no concerts or tours of the organs available at this time. The organs are not operational. A rehabilitation and restoration process is in the planning stages following the recent $100 million renovation of the building. Tours of the organs and concerts will be resumed in the future when the organs are back in operating condition.

Tours of Boardwalk Hall, including the main auditorium and ballroom, can be arranged by calling 609-348-7072. Information about Boardwalk Hall and scheduled events can be found at: http://www.boardwalkhall.com

New Musical Selections Added To Website

Several new music clips have been added to the Gallery section of the website, including a rare practice session with Barbara Fesmire and Lowell Ayers. Barbara Fesmire was the resident organist at Boardwalk Hall in the 70s. There is also a video clip of Timothy Hoag playing the Midmer-Losh organ.

Rave Reviews For The New CD Recording of Boardwalk Pipes and Bach On The Biggest

The recent digital transfer to CD of Robert Elmore's 1956 recordings on Mercury Records is being very well received. Both Theatre Organ and The American Organist magazines gave full-page reviews of these historic recordings.

New Book

Stephen Smith's book, ATLANTIC CITY'S MUSICAL MASTERPIECE, about the Midmer-Losh organ in the Atlantic City Boardwalk Convention Hall is now in print. After 20 years of research, he provides an astonishing and comprehensive guide to the world's largest pipe organ. There are over 300 photographs, diagrams, and tables including a master stop list, along with biographies of more than three dozen individuals.

The previously published book of photographs, THE ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION HALL ORGAN — A Pictorial Essay about the World's Largest Pipe Organ, is also available and contains 94 8"x10" black and white photographs taken during the construction of the organ from 1929 to 1932.

Also available is the 1998 demonstration CD recording THE AUDITORIUM ORGAN at $15.

Please go to the Store on this website for detailed information and to order these items.

The Atlantic City Convention Hall Gets a New Name

Known as the Atlantic City Convention Hall since its construction in 1926, this venerable building is now officially called BOARDWALK HALL – although the organs still bear plates saying "Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ".