Madison, VA, USA: Hebron Lutheran Church

My card of the Tannenburg organ at Hebron Lutheran Church features a rather unique perspective, from below at an angle looking up at the organ in its loft. Mine is unused and in color. The reverse gives information about the organ: built in 1800 in Pennsylvania and moved by ox cart and installed in 1802. We are told it remains unaltered, though it underwent restoration in 1970. My card is not dated anywhere.

Tannenburg was a very important instrument-maker in early American history. Another of his instruments is nearby in Winston-Salem, NC. The church was established in 1717; the present facility is a charming colonial-looking building. Taylor & Boody, of Virginia tend to the instrument, and have helpful information on their site. The key- and stop action are all original as are all of the pipes, 486 of them. It is the largest in tact Tannenburg in existence.

Buckingham, UK: Hughenden Church

My postcard of the organ in St Michael and All Angels parish in Buckingham, shows a memorial tablet, a rather remarkable headpiece, and a sliver of the organ, in black and white. My card is used, with a fairly common stamp. The writer has dated it 1933, from London to Richmond, VA. The tablet, we are told, is from Queen Victoria in memory of the Earl of Beaconsfield.

The first organ in the church was built in 1864, a one-manual instrument. It was rebuilt and expanded in 1882. The most recent work was in 1979. The church's website includes helpful information, including before and after recordings of the instrument's 1979 work. The specification shows a fairly well-developed two-manual instrument. Included in the pdf is an image of the 1883 proposal for the restored instrument: fascinating. The first church on the site was from the 12th century. The facility underwent major restoration in the late-1800s. The church is closely related to Hughenden Manor, the home of Benjamin Disraeli; he is buried at the church.

Elizabethtown, PA, USA: Christ Lutheran Church

My card is a straight-on shot of the front (east end) of the sanctuary including a slightly elevated chancel area with organ facade pipes on both sides of a recessed altar area. It's in color. My card is mint, though it has some spots on the reverse. The reverse also includes some information about the church: clergy staff, services and contact information. It's dated 1966. The present chancel area looks very much the same as the card. The church's website has no information about the organ that I could find. Luckily the OHS database includes the details. Moeller Organ opus 7298 was installed in 1946 and includes 3 manuals and pedal with 19 ranks of pipes. Further exploration of the OHS site tells us that the organ was just recently updated with electronic additions. It is indeed a rather small instrument, so augmentation of some type could prove helpful.

Boston, MA, USA: First Church of Christ, Scientist

This justifiably famous edifice includes an equally renowned organ. My card is postally used, though the stamp has been removed. The image is the sanctuary, including the chancel area and organ, viewed from an elevated side gallery. It's sepia toned. The reverse names the building, the copyright holder and the copyright year, 1953. The postmark clearly shows the city, day and time, but the year didn't come through well. It appears the card was sent from Boston to Cary, (NC?).

The original facility, built in 1894 in Romanesque style, still stands, and includes an Aeolian-Skinner organ. The facility which includes the present image (the "extension") was built in 1906 and according to the church website includes the world's largest Aeolian-Skinner organ, with 13,384 pipes.

The church's library includes some history of the organ. The website for Lawrence Phelps, who devoted considerable time and energy to the organs at the Mother Church includes details information about the organ as of 1952, the date of the article.

This is a third card I have of the same organ. This one is a straight ahead view of the chancel, in color. Mine is unused, published by Robbins Brothers of Boston, but printed in Germany.