Popper's "Ohio" Orchestrion - Deutschmeister-Regimentsmarsch

This particular Ohio was located in Erfurt around 1927 and is the only known example of this orchestrion still existing.
The 'Ohio' was first shown at the spring convention 1926. With 27 violin pipes, 12 cello pipes, 27 flute and 27 saxophone pipes it imitates the sound of a medium-sized jazz band. As in many Popper orchestrion it also comes with a special instrument in the form of a 'Flex-a-tone' - a singing-saw-kinda instrument that is a shaking piece of metal hit by a little stick repeatedly while being bent to change the pitch.

[@larryjohnson6385]

Very cool
Thanks for sharing this beautiful machine 🙏🙏

[@kathyevans3251]

Ilove it.

[@user-sf8tx4pm1d]

An normal orcestron from ohio

[@Coinodeon]

The orchestrion is not from Ohio, "Ohio" is just the name of it. It was built in Germany.

[@masklavier]

Wait, the description says “as in many popper orchestrions” when mentioning the flex a tone. I didn’t know other popper orchestrions had flex a tones!

[@retr0la]

Oh no, "as in many Popper orchestrions it comes with a special instrument" meaning that Popper often added very strange extras for their jazzband-orchestrions. The 'Roland' had a Swanee whistle, the 'Ohio' had the flex-a-tone, the 'Con amore' had bird whistles and the 'Protos' had both swanee whistle and flex-a-tone.

[@masklavier]

@@retr0la Wow! I've actually never heard of the Con Amore or Protos before. Are there any still around or videos of them?

[@aaronb5060]

@@masklavier There is a single surviving Protos in the Nethercutt collection, however that particular one only has the slide whistle and no flex-a-tone. No Con Amores are known to survive, unfortunately.

[@retr0la]

​@@masklavier I answered your question on facebook. I can send you a picture of the Protos and Con amore there.

[@christiantedesco1477]

The protos, at least in the extant survivor, is simply the same instrument as the Ohio but with a Swanee whistle instead of a flexatone and a art deco case with changing lights… the tuned bird whistles was used on theater organs and possibly some hooghuys dance organs.
I’d be interested in if the Con Amore follows the same specification as the protos/Ohio: violin, flute, saxophone, accomp cello, speciality register, plus xylophone and bells!