| Abbreviation | OHS |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founder | Barbara Owen |
| Headquarters | Villanova, Pennsylvania |
| Website | organhistoricalsociety |
The Organ Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization primarily composed of pipe organ enthusiasts interested in the instrument's design, construction, conservation and use in musical performance. Formed in 1956, the headquarters moved from Richmond, Virginia, to Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 2017.[1][2]
The main activities of the Society include promoting an active interest in the organ and its builders, particularly those in North America, through publishing efforts, national conventions, and preservation of library and archival materials. The Society also works to encourage the historic preservation and integrity of noteworthy instruments. Members consider organs in their larger context, and their audiences, builders, case designs, construction, geographical distribution, history, marketing, physical attributes, sound, and voicing receive the emphasis of attention. The society aims to be a ready resource for nonmembers seeking to discover the significance and potential avenues of restoration for instruments in their care.
The society sometimes gets involved with local efforts to preserve or replace pipe organs, as on the Duke University campus in 1988 or with two Pittsburgh-area organs in 2010.[3][4]
- ^ Pinel, Stephen (November 2015). "Former Archivist, Organ Historical Society". The American Organist. 49 (11): 72.
- ^ Ochse, Orpha (1975). The History of the Organ in the United States. Indiana University Press. p. 413. ISBN 0-253-32830-6. OCLC 1007842.
- ^ Newton, David (August 21, 1988). "Organ War: Duke Chapel Instrument Stirs Debate". The Herald-Sun. pp. 1D. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ Druckenbrod, Andrew (June 25, 2010). "Society's national convention showcases local pipe organ". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. C1, C3. Retrieved December 25, 2022.