55-key G. Perlee Street Organ "De Pipo"

For sale in 26.09.2026 Mechanical Music, Fairground & Magic Auction, register for the auction here - https://live.dutchauctioncompany.com/... Low estimate - € 50,000 High estimate - € 80,000 Originally built around 1920 as a 54-key barrel organ by Joseph Bursens in Hoboken, Belgium, this instrument was initially named "De Vierenvijftig Burssens" after its builder and key count. First owned by the Warnies brothers, it was sold at auction following the closure of their company in 1923 to a dance hall keeper, before being acquired by the Perlee family in 1935. In 1962, Gijs Perlee Jr. (1932-2008) repainted the facade to feature "Pipo de Clown" - the lead character from Wim Meuldijk's popular early Dutch television series - giving the organ the iconic "De Pipo" name. A "sister" organ to "De Pipo" called "De Mammaloe" (the wife of "Pipo" in the TV series) is currently also restored and playing in the streets of the Netherlands. Paintings by Corry Brokken have been applied to the side panels of "De Pipo", these panels were originally open, exposing the organ pipes behind them. Today, "De Pipo" operates as a 55-key street organ including it's original push cart and approximately 266 music books. It features a melody section (15 notes: bourdon céleste, violins, tremolo), countermelody (13 notes: cello, céleste, piffaro, barrette), accompaniment (9 notes), ground bass (6 notes), and percussion (bass drum, cymbal, snare drum, and woodblock). For many years "De Pipo" was rented out by the well-known organ rental company Gijs Perlee. Famously it was played in the Jordaan neighbourhood in the Amsterdam by renter Piet van der Haar. "De Pipo" is one of the most famous Dutch street organs, that has been with the Perlee family for 91 years, and has always been beloved due to its rich, warm and deep sound. Included with the organ is a black and white photo from circa 1965-1970 showing the organ in the streets of Amsterdam.