Barker lever
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Barker-lever is named after Charles Spackman Barker (1804-79), engineer and organ-builder. This lever, multiplying the force of a finger on an organ key, allowed for the development of larger, more powerful organs still responsive to the human hand. These larger organs first flourished in France, e.g., the organ produced by Cavaillé-Coll at St. Sulpice.
A similar lever was developed by David Hamilton in 1835, and there has been debate whether Barker stole the design. The rest of Barker's career was undistinguished.
[edit] Bibliography
- "Of Organs and Engines". John H. Lienhard. The Engines of Our Ingenuity. NPR. KUHF-FM Houston. 2005. No. 1973. Transcript. Compares Barker-lever to similar devices in the Corliss steam engine. He cites the Grove's article below and other good web sources, e.g. Bridgeman-Sutton.
- Bridgeman-Sutton, David, "Barker-lever". This is based on the following two print sources, Hinton suggesting Barker's copying & Thistlethwaite noting the differences in design.
- Hinton, John William, The Story of the Electric Organ. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., 1909.
- Thistlethwaite, Nicholas, The Making of the Victorian Organ. Cambridge Musical Texts and Monographs. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Pp. 352-354.
- Williams, P., "Organ." The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians. (Stanley Sadie, ed.) Vol. 13, New York: Macmillan, 1995, pp. 710-779.
