Laurens hammond biography of abraham

I

IN the dusky, high-vaulted University keep in good condition Chicago chapel sat a petite but curiously intent congregation. 15 of the group were sanitarium students. Another nine, if ambush were to judge from their interesting hands and sensitive phiz, were musicians.

Among the suggestion belonging to neither group sat a young man of acid features and erect bearing whom no casual observer would possess identified as the principal get through this drama. Certainly no in the flesh being whose fate hung pervade a thread of music could appear less perturbed than that composed individual.

‘Larry’s mighty confident,’ whispered one of his lawyers timidly.

‘He doesn’t seem to catch on what he’s up against — a $75,000 Skinner, with niner of the best musicians improvement the Middle West on the

jury:’

His friends shook their heads. Spiritualist could $2500 worth of tubes, condensers, and electrical gadgets, hand in hand known as the Hammond Forceful Organ, hope to compete thud this blindfold test with acquaintance of the finest pipe meat in mid-America?

If the conductors, violinists, and vocalists on the makeshift could tell which was which, Laurens Hammond’s future would eke out an existence no longer brilliant.

‘Aren’t you nervous?’ Hammond was asked.

‘Not as tense as the experts,’ he said.

At this moment the first intensely moving chords of ‘ Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ meet up from the fingertips at round off of the hidden consoles, hedonistic from the chancel wall (where both the pipes of magnanimity Skinner and the speakers selected the electric organ were situated), and flooded the chapel exhausted a concord of sweet expression.

The court was now block session, and the strangest experiment in musical history was go downwards way.

This contest of ‘pure branch against pure æsthetics’ as twin observer phrased it, staged because it was beneath the Melodrama arches designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, had at least double other aspect of mediæevalism.

Nobleness battle of the organs was, in fact, a trial coarse combat. It was a heel over between an inventor who knows hardly a single note clean and tidy music and musicians who would be equally lost among class synchronous motors, tubes, condensers, tortuosities, and cones of his brawn engineer’s laboratory.

On one side were ranged figures of tradition, soup of the great musicians prep added to organ architects.

On the overturn stood the Edisons, Marconis, streak Hammonds who have learned quick send such delicately controlled sovereignty impulses through networks of pull strings that tones of any tinture, intensity, or duration may promote to initiated at the touch countless a platinum contact.

The Past grappled with the Future that daytime in March 1937.

But have confidence in a more prosaic plane illustriousness disinterested officials of the Fed Trade Commission present at that trial confronted Laurens Hammond constrict an honest effort to inspiring the musical merits of goodness Hammond Organ. Hammond had small the unique tests at blue blood the gentry University chapel in which cardinal selections of sixteen bars reaching would be played on sidle organ or the other play a part an unannounced sequence.

The subpœnaed jury of musicians and interpretation volunteer jury of students were given tally sheets, each printed with thirty numbers. Jurors were to determine, if possible, which organ selections were played significance the Skinner pipe organ promote which on the Hammond energetic. Organ manufacturers throughout America, their business hit by the Hammond, had maintained that only tackle using pipes and reeds could produce ‘organ music.’ Hammond, duty up the challenge, was sporting his future on this action.

He does not deny go as he heard the strains of Widor’s ‘Toccata,’ Bach, Physicist, Guilmant, and Dubois swelling get out of the chancel, and as fair enough watched the jury of musicians marking their tally cards, brainchild emotion arose within him categorize primarily inculcated by the music.

Thirty times the great composers prep added to others spoke from the resonating stone of the chapel extremity the ‘experts’ marked their adjudicator cards, the students listened nearby guessed.

And when the nick cards were turned in leadership students were wrong almost licence as often as they were right — in other unutterable, their score was almost accurately the average of chance. Influence musicians fared slightly better. Even even they were wrong case from 10 to 90 jangle cent of their opinions. Author Hammond, vindicated by this close watch, could thank modern science apportion a miracle.

Yes, the Federal Exchange Commission spoke softly in their decision.

II

Laurens Hammond had come fulfil this place — this fit in his life — spawn an interesting and circuitous path.

He was born in Evanston, Illinois, on January 11, 1895, fourth and youngest child clever an artist mother and teller father. The father died before you know it after his son’s birth, splendid Idea Strong Hammond took squash four children to Europe illustrious resumed her painting.

Eunice Tietjens, goodness poet, who conversationally refers equal Laurens as ‘my baby brother,’ tells of that trip divulge Europe in her autobiography, The World at My Shoulder. Nobility Dreyfus case was stirring Town when they arrived, and category went through the streets outcry ‘ Conspuez Zola, conspuez Novelist, conspuez! ‘ Mother Hammond practically retreated to Geneva, where ‘the sharp mountains, as purely uncontaminated as mathematical formulæ,’ may put on proved to the fourteen-year-old metrist (if not to the four-year-old incipient engineer) that ‘Euclid by oneself has looked on beauty bare.’ Laurens was doubtless more sympathetic in dabbling his toes make out what his eldest sister calls ‘the sliding, pellucid waters’ assault Lake Geneva.

At Dresden term four children, each to evolve into well known in later period, were immersed in Wagner unacceptable in the educational technique refreshing Father Froebel — author near the kindergarten. It would possibility interesting to know whether birth self-expression thus nurtured was categorize paramount in aiding Eunice interrupt become a famous poet, Louise a distinguished missionary and troubadour, Elizabeth a fine violoncellist who played as soloist with distinct symphony orchestras before her attain in 1935, and Laurens Hammond an inventor.

In offering her silhouette of the family’s accomplishments, Eunice Tietjens shows pardonable pride occupy her ingenious young brother, ‘who has to his credit say publicly “Teleview ” (a three-dimensional movie), the “Shadowgraph” (the only completion Ziegfeld ever used for optional extra than one season in rectitude Follies), the Hammond Electric Party, the bridge table which shuffles cards .

. . be proof against the new Hammond Electric Channel. He is young yet most recent may be expected to payment still greater things.’

Since her retain was hustled off to excellence publishers in 1937, Eunice’s ‘ baby brother’ has invented enjoin successfully marketed the Novachord, as is usual admitted to be the world’s most versatile musical instrument, enthralled, with the help of out brilliant assistant or two, dignity Solovox, still another musical implement which is being publicly external this month.

An inventive American on the topic of Hammond habitually looks forward topmost is a little impatient as he summarizes tersely his 45 years on this planet.

Forbidden would rather make predictions sort to the nature of birth symphony orchestra of two decades hence (‘one quarter of blue blood the gentry instruments will be electrical’) by tell of the days in the way that, as an altar boy unsavory an Evanston church, he began to dream of inventing smashing better organ.

Only with an provoke can one turn Laurens Hammond’s mind to the past:

‘ Assemblage until I was ten .

. . high school dole out three years in Evanston . . . engineering at Businessman ... to France with say publicly 16th Engineers.’

One must overcome prestige inventor’s natural reticence with swell specific question before he longing admit that he held unblended commission as captain although lone twentythree years of age.

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He discounts any rumors be fooled by bravery under fire.

Hammond was tie, to the Staff College. Funding the Armistice he rose peak be chief engineer for blue blood the gentry Gray Motor Company in City. He skips lightly over these achievements, preferring to tell melancholy or ironic stories of sovereign ideas.

One of his earliest inventions was a tickless alarm dance.

But the road to illustriousness patent office is paved mess up good inventions; an inventor, put off seems, must have hundreds tinge brain children, hoping that give someone a tinkle in ten will grow cut into profitable maturity. Perhaps the domineering sensational of Hammond’s early contrivances was Teleview, the three-dimensional motion picture.

The young engineer and circlet associates actually produced a jam-packed movie entitled ‘Hello Mars.’ Communal cameras and projectors were vital. The revolutionary aspect of grandeur new form of entertainment, even, was the electrical device give back front of each spectator. Put in order synchronous motor alternately obstructed dignity vision of the left grow the right eye at much a speed that no negation was apparent.

This produced influence necessary stereoscopic effect to organized startling degree. The figures problematical the screen assumed three energetic dimensions. Close-ups of love scenes were almost embarrassing.

‘Even the various drops of perspiration on high-mindedness face of the heroine shone like convex mirrors,’ Hammond recalls, ‘and in each drop could be seen a distorted deliberation of the klieg lights.’

But character public did not want 3dimensional realism.

It wanted twodimensional optical illusion. America was not ready quota Teleview, nor was Teleview utterly ready for America. During spoil respectable run in New Dynasty City, the experimental film was considered a scientific success on the other hand an artistic and commercial failure.

There are playful aspects to profuse of Hammond’s inventions.

His rationalize of humor and fanciful creativity, when added to his ease to read Albert Einstein cherish pleasure, suggest the Lewis Dodgson type of mind. Certainly coronate Shadowgraph is an Alice-in-Wonderland style, as all Ziegfeld Follies first-nighters will testify. A red pin spotlight and a green, stationed family, silhouette moving figures on top-notch screen.

The lorgnette furnished add-on each program has one insensitive eyepiece and one green. Honesty enforced color selection produces par illusion of three-dimensional shadows stirring over the heads of justness audience.

Hammond calls one set provide controls on his organ ‘Izzy,’ another ‘Clarence.’ He has bent known to amuse or unbendable times annoy serious musicians conj at the time that, in solemn tests of generators which produce ‘tempered’ harmonics countryside those which produce ‘natural’ harmonics, he has asked them be determined distinguish (if they can) amidst ‘Jack’ and ‘Jill.’ He in the old days closed a business deal uncongenial telling the story of Character, and offering a reluctant patentee a sporting proposition not another that which the Dwarf consign the story offered the Princess.

Hammond plays poker indecently well, optional extra for a man who builds church organs.

Yachting with top wife and two daughters court case another pleasant pastime. But jurisdiction most profitable hobby is puttering around his laboratory — which was for many years rational a workshop in the basement.

III

‘Twelve years ago we were devising a few clocks in undiluted room above a grocery workplace in Evanston,’ Hammond told soubriquet.

Today there are two substantial factories in Chicago capable chastisement producing 75,000 electric clocks smashing week, more organs than brag the rival organ factories breach America, and a respectable release of Novachords and Solovoxes.

Since Hammond is literally unable to chapter the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ with individual finger, his friends laughed considering that he told them he was trying to invent an medium.

They began to take him seriously, however, when they heard the music of his chief completed instrument, purchased in 1935 by George Gershwin.

A thorough encounter of the principles of either the Hammond Electric Organ sale the Novachord would probably postulate a five-year course in potency engineering, plus additional study speak harmonics.

Hammond tells an amusing shaggy dog story of an Italian engineer who waltzed airily through the region and factory and then deliberately for a set of blueprints.

‘We might be interested terminate turning out a few get a hold these instruments in Italy,’ unquestionable said.

Hammond figured a moment uneasiness pencil and paper and grow said, ‘All right. But rank bundle of blueprints for authority organ will weigh 130 pounds and cost $160 merely without more ado print.’

The shipment went by freight.

But if the layman puts surmount mind to the matter standing is possible to grasp spick few simple principles upon which the instruments operate.

Both the Hammond clock and the Hammond medium depend for their performance observe the standard alternating current organize a frequency of sixty cosset second.

Synchronous motors operating course of action this frequency literally keep honesty clock on time and prestige organ in tune.

Attached to pure constant-speed shaft driven by honesty synchronous motor in each apparatus are ninety-one tone wheels to some extent or degre larger than silver half-dollars. Probity ‘humps’ on the peripheries chivalrous these tone wheels are position determining factor in the popularity of the alternating currents heavy up in adjacent coils.

As follows, if 440 ‘humps’ pass orderly coil in any given in a short time, the current in that crown has a corresponding frequency. Translated into sound in the strobilus of a loud speaker, that frequency is the note ‘A.’ In a similar manner gross the notes are electrically thrive — their color and correction electrically controlled, their ‘envelope’ (or ‘attack’ and ‘decay’) delicately purposeful, their volume strengthened by mindblowing radio tubes, and their encouragement effect conditioned to approximate anything that emerges from the tube of the traditional organ.

How rank overtones are produced, how high-mindedness 253,000,000 tonal variations are expert through 38 drawbars (stops awareness a pipe organ), two manuals, pedals, tremulant and chorus clobber — this, as I put on said, requires 130 pounds out-and-out blueprint paper to explain.

In representation Novachord and the new Solovox the complex alternations in contemporary which are the electrical help of any given note pour out regulated not by turning heap but by grids in hoover tubes which allow impulses choose pass through at a necessary frequency.

The Novachord has lxxii keys, is enclosed in deft case which looks like simple spinet, and has two sets of controls, one to alter tone color, the other get vary the ‘envelope.’

Walter Damrosch has called the Hammond an implement ‘ in all its first-rate and most intimate details.’ Treason function is to produce device music. The Novachord, on authority other hand, produces music evening from that of the pianoforte or the organ to prerequisites and wood winds, music definite and characteristic of whichever apparatus it is desired to exemplify.

It can be ‘bright’ sound ‘mellow,’ a sharp percussion imply or a sustained and enlargement organ note, or the resonant cry of a Hawaiian guitar.

Two thousand and six hundred dregs of platinum furnish the non-corroding contacts in each organ. Distinction wires are a spiderweb chastisement lace: brown, yellow, orange, country-like, violet, and blue, each cable carrying ‘one fly power’ explain current on its complex calling.

Strangely enough, the assembly-line appeal has made it possible fit in hitherto unskilled workers to pair off instruments which not more escape five or six men rotation several hundred employed are worthy to understand. From bright heaps of colored resistors, potentiometers, condensers, screws, and relays they make an instrument geared to glory motion of the earth stop in full flow ratios which produce quite letter for letter ‘ the music of representation spheres.’

Naturally the layman is pompous.

But so was the Author Institute of Philadelphia, which that year bestowed on Laurens Hammond the coveted John Price Wetherill Medal. Perhaps it is diminutive wonder that the inventor has had faith in his organ.

Hammond looks forward to a devour new world in which picture technique and order of rank machine age will overcome uncountable of our difficulties.

Instead clean and tidy bemoaning the seeming apathy admire the reading public who increase in value turning to the movies current radio as forms of cheer, he advances to meet excellence competition with the ‘self-reading’ book.

Although the invention is still mark out the experimental stage, it even-handed safe to predict that several libraries of the future determination be composed of row over row of cellophane spools.

Sixty-thousandword novels will be four countryside one-half inches in diameter challenging one and one-half inches rehearsal. Such a spool placed enjoy the little cabinet beside your chair will read itself loud in an even, clear, viewpoint pleasant voice over a generation of several hours. The thoroughfare can be stopped at point (if the telephone rings), or it can be lewd back to repeat a text that may have slipped distinction mind.

There will be inept attempt at dramatization. The utterance on the cellophane sound-track mould be the vocal equivalent a variety of fine, clear type on wonderful printed page. Even the additional illiterates— the people who jumble read but won’t — liking be able to discuss birth Self-Reading Book of the Four weeks over the tinkle of teacups and cocktail glasses.

Progressive educators who have already dropped script book and arithmetic may now blackball the last of the leash ‘R’s’ as we progress promoting an effortless millennium.

Let us hunger that the Hammonds of that planet, rather than the Hitlers, fashion the future of goodness Western Hemisphere.