Kimball Theatre Organ

During the silent movie era and into the early 1930s, theatre organs were built in large numbers in the US and (fewer) in the United Kingdom.

As in a traditional pipe organ, a theatre organ operates on pneumatics: When depressed, a key sends a signal for a valve to open in a tube and allows a puff of air to engage the instrument.  A blower generates the air flow, and a large bellows fills with air.

Cantos' theatre organ, built by Kimball in 1924, features marimbas, drums, chimes, a bird whistle and more instruments all built into one. It was first installed in St. Helen's Theatre in Chehalis, Washington, then in a theatre in Seattle.  Next it was transferred to the Fox Theatre in Victoria, then to Vancouver, and finally to Carol Otto in St. Albert, Alberta.  There it served as her private practice instrument.  Mrs. Otto donated this amazing instrument to Cantos in 2001.