Friday, August 6, 2021

Philadelphia (PA), USA: Old Swedes Church

 


The Old Swedes Church (Gloria Dei Church) in Philadelphia was built between 1698 and 1700. The congregation was active from 1677. It was originally a Swedish Lutheran church, but since 1845 has been an Episcopalian congregation. The church's graveyard includes sites for several important figures of the Revolutionary War and several important Swedish immigrants.  I could find very little information about the organ. This site mentions the organ but gives no details beyond the builder information. It seems the organ  is  Hook and Hastings, opus #1981 installed in either 1902 or 1903. It seems it was worked on by the R Brunner company in 1994. My card shows the rear gallery of the church including the organ. Also shown are a chandelier, a tablet (text is illegible), and some sort of scroll with two angel faces. My card is in color and is unused. Text on the back gives the name of the church and the location and, "Site of one of the first organs in America. Religious wood carving beneath the loft brought from Sweden 1642. Jenny Lind (Swedish Nighingale) sang from this balcony in 1850." Further text gives publication information: "Photographed and published by Joseph F. Marsello, 7310 Germantown Avenue, Phila, 19 Pa."

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