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Merklin

Joseph Merklin (1891-1905) was born in 1819 in Oberhausen (Baden) and learned his skills at the workshop of his father, Franz Joseph Merklin. In 1843, he opened his first workshop in Belgium. In 1849, he went into partnership with his foreman and voicer Friedrich Schütze: J. Merklin-Schütze et Cie. In 1855, he came to Paris and acquired the Parisian firm of Ducrocquet-Barker (the former Daublaine-Callinet firm), which was then bankrupt. In the same year, he presented his first instrument in France at the world exhibition in Paris. It was a great success and sold to the Church Saint- Eugène in Paris in 1856. In 1858, he definitively established his company in Paris: Société Anonyme pour la fabrication de grandes orgues. Soon, he would become the great competitor of Cavaillé- Coll in France. In 1870, he sold the Belgian part of his company to Pierre Schyven and left the French part to found a new one : Joseph Merklin et Cie. After the Franco-Prussian war, he moved to Lyon in 1872; the Parisian branch became auxillary. In 1880, he founded a new company Merklin et Cie with his son-in-law Charles Michel, but this firm was dissolved in 1894 as a result of a disagreement between the two men. Charles Félix Michel continued the workshop in Lyon, which was dissolved in 1902 and later in 1905 taken over by the Swiss company Kuhn (Michel-Merklin et Kuhn). This firm was bought by Olaf Dalsbaek in 1976 and the name of the firm changed tot Dalsbaek-Merklin. The restoration of the organ of the church of Saint-Eugène in Paris was one of the biggest projects of his career as an organ builder. Olaf Dalsbaek died in 2024 at the age of 73. Joseph Merklin moved to Paris again together with his head of workshop Joseph Gutschenritter, under the name: J. Merklin & Cie. He retired in 1898 and gave his shares to the engineer Philippe Decock. The firm was continued by Joseph Gutschenritter . Joseph Merklin died in 1905. Merklin was an innovative builder and introduced in 1984 the electro-pneumatic system (type Schmoele-Mols), which allowed a large distance between the console and the organ itself. More information on Merklin…
Organs of Paris

Merklin

ORGANS OF PARIS © 2024 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS
Joseph Merklin (1891-1905) was born in 1819 in Oberhausen (Baden) and learned his skills at the workshop of his father, Franz Joseph Merklin. In 1843, he opened his first workshop in Belgium. In 1849, he went into partnership with his foreman and voicer Friedrich Schütze: J. Merklin-Schütze et Cie. In 1855, he came to Paris and acquired the Parisian firm of Ducrocquet-Barker (the former Daublaine-Callinet firm), which was then bankrupt. In the same year, he presented his first instrument in France at the world exhibition in Paris. It was a great success and sold to the Church Saint- Eugène in Paris in 1856. In 1858, he definitively established his company in Paris: Société Anonyme pour la fabrication de grandes orgues. Soon, he would become the great competitor of Cavaillé- Coll in France. In 1870, he sold the Belgian part of his company to Pierre Schyven and left the French part to found a new one : Joseph Merklin et Cie. After the Franco-Prussian war, he moved to Lyon in 1872; the Parisian branch became auxillary. In 1880, he founded a new company Merklin et Cie with his son-in-law Charles Michel, but this firm was dissolved in 1894 as a result of a disagreement between the two men. Charles Félix Michel continued the workshop in Lyon, which was dissolved in 1902 and later in 1905 taken over by the Swiss company Kuhn (Michel-Merklin et Kuhn). This firm was bought by Olaf Dalsbaek in 1976 and the name of the firm changed tot Dalsbaek-Merklin. The restoration of the organ of the church of Saint-Eugène in Paris was one of the biggest projects of his career as an organ builder. Olaf Dalsbaek died in 2024 at the age of 73. Joseph Merklin moved to Paris again together with his head of workshop Joseph Gutschenritter, under the name: J. Merklin & Cie. He retired in 1898 and gave his shares to the engineer Philippe Decock. The firm was continued by Joseph Gutschenritter . Joseph Merklin died in 1905. Merklin was an innovative builder and introduced in 1984 the electro-pneumatic system (type Schmoele-Mols), which allowed a large distance between the console and the organ itself. More information on Merklin…