Click on image to enlarge Barbizon-Plaza Hotel 106 Central Park South New York, N.Y. 10019 The $10,000,000 Barbizon-Plaza Hotel, located on Central Park South between Sixth and Seventh Avenues and extending through to 58th Street, was designed in a Modern Classical style by Laurence Emmons, architect and decorator, who worked with the architectural firm of Lloyd Morgan and Murgatroyd & Ogden. As originally built, the 38-story building had a hipped roof that surmounted its relatively slender tower. The roof was constructed of narrow ribs of reinforced concrete that alternated with small glass tiles set on their edges; on a sunny day the tiles sparkled, and at night they were illuminated from within to create the illusion of moonlight. At some point, possibly during World War II when nighttime illumination was prohibited, the roof was redesigned to its present form with a gilded roof. When it formally opened on May 12, 1930, the Barbizon-Plaza was noted as the first music-art residence center in the United States. In addition to 1,400 rooms with baths, the building also contained three separate halls for concerts, musicales, recitals, amateur dance and dramatic offerings. There were many studios for sculptors and artists, exhibition rooms, clubrooms, and a glass-enclosed roof for indoor and outdoor athletics. Art galleries, exhibition salons and a completely equipped library were also included. With the onset of the Depression, the hotel management struggled to keep up with the mortgage, but after only two and a half years, the property was foreclosed and sold at auction in July 1933 for $4,553,238. In 1988, the hotel was acquired by Donald Trump who converted it into a 340-unit condominium known as the Trump Parc. Trump also purchased the adjacent smaller building at 100 Central Park South (on the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue) that is now known as Trump Parc East.               Aeolian Company New York City – Opus 1779 (1930) Electro-pneumatic key and stop action 2 manuals, 33 stops, 15 ranks For the new Barbizon Plaza Hotel, an organ was built by the Aeolian Company of New York City. The Aeolian contract, dated May 21, 1930 and signed July 12th, states that the organ was to be shipped on or about September 30, 1930 and would be installed by October 30 of the same year at a cost of $12,000. Aeolian installed the organ in a chamber prepared by the hotel, and provided a three-manual drawknob console and bench that were constructed of native wood and finished as decided by the hotel. No organ casework, screen or grilles were built by Aeolian. The fate of this organ is unknown.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Diapason 73 2   Piccolo — 8   Dulciana 73 8   Tromba 73 8   Dolce Flute 73 8   Clarinet 73 8   Concert Flute [unit] 85 8   Harp 61 Tones 4   Wald Flute — 4   Celesta — 2 2/3   Nazard —   Tremolo             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Gedeckt [unit] 97 2   Flageolet — 8   Diapason 73 8   Trumpet 73 8   Viole 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Viole Celeste 73 8   Vox Humana 73 8   Salicional 73 8   Harp GT 8   Spanish Flute — 4   Celesta GT 4   Flute d'Amour —   Tremolo                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes ("Derived from Great") 8   Diapason GT 8   Tromba GT 8   Dulciana GT 8   Clarinet GT 8   Dolce Flute GT 8   Harp GT 8   Concert Flute GT 4   Celesta GT 4   Wald Flute GT   Tremolo GT 2   Piccolo GT                     Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16   Violone 32 8   Flute [Concert Flute] GT 16   Bourdon [ext. GT Concert Fl.] 12 8   Gedeckt SW 16   Lieblich Gedeckt SW                       Couplers (tilting tablets)     Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'     Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', Unison Release, 4'     Choir to Pedal 8'   Swell 16', Unison Release, 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', Unison Release, 4'     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'                     Combination Pistons "Adjustable at the console and visibly affects the registers. Double touch pistons marked * affect pedal combination of same number on second touch. Pedal and General pistons duplicated by pedal plungers (except 0)."     Great 1*-2*-3*-4*-5-0*         Swell 1*-2*-3*-4*-5-0*         Choir 1*-2*-3*-4*-5-0*         Pedal 1-2-3-4-0         General 1-2-3-4-0         All Off         Combination Set Piston with Key Lock                     Accessories     Great-Choir Expression Pedal         Swell Expression Pedal         Crescendo Pedal with indicator light         Sforzando Reversible (piston & plunger) with indicator light     Great to Pedal Reversible (piston & plunger)     Swell to Pedal Reversible (piston & plunger)     Harp and Celesta P and F     Harp and Celesta with and without Dampers               Sources:      "Bondholders Buy Big 6th Av. Hotel," The New York Times, July 15, 1933.      Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes /Readers' Questions; Echoes of a Union Hall; Artificial Sunlight," The New York Times, June 6, 1999.      Horsley, Carter B. "Trump Parc," the City Review website: http://www.thecityreview.com/cps/cps106.html.      "New 40-Story Hotel On Sixth Av. Opens," The New York Times, May 12, 1930.      Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998.      Stern, Robert A.M., Gregory Gilmartin, and Thomas Mellins. New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York City: Rizzoli International Publications, 1987.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Contract for Aeolian Organ, Op. 1779 (1930). Photos:      eBay.com. Undated postcard of Barbizon-Plaza Hotel. | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |