Foucher-Gasparini was a builder of

barrel organ A barrel organ (also called roller organ or crank organ) is a France, French mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of organ pipe, pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated. The basic ...

s. It was based in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and existed from 1865 to 1928. Gasparini travelled from

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

to learn organ building, forming a partnership with

Frenchman French people () are a nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France. The French people, especially the native speakers of langues d'oïl from nort ...

Foucher in Paris from 1865. The organs were noted for their soft tones, with their trademarks being the rounded shape of the front piece, with many curls and other decorations. The company exported many organs to the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, and 52-key Gasparini organs are common in France. It remained in business until 1928Liquidation documents from Limonaire Frères factory in 1932 when it was bought by

Limonaire Frères Limonaire Frères were an amusement ride, street organ and fairground organ builder, based in Paris, France, during the 19th and early 20th century. History 1839 to 1886 Started by the Limonaire brothers Joseph and Antoine in 1839, as piano and ...

References

French pipe organ builders Musical instrument manufacturing companies based in Paris French companies established in 1865 {{France-org-stub

See also

References