Wanamaker bell

[Richard Offen]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Bill Hibbert" <bill at ...> wrote:
>
> Further research has unearthed the following (from the Friends of the 
> Wanamaker Organ website). It casts some doubt on the supposed first 
> casting date for the Wanamaker Bell of 1923 - it reads as if both 
> attempts to cast occurred in 1926.
> 
> "The ... bell that rings from the belfry of the PNB-First Union bank 
> building on North Broad Street and Penn Square in Philadelphia was 
> commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker in 1926 as a memorial to his father, 
> John Wanamaker ... The bell was cast by the distinguished Gillett and 
> Johnston foundry in Croydon, England ... Production delays caused its 
> dedication to be postponed from the Fourth of July until New Year's 
> Eve 1926-27."
> 
> Bill H
>

That's what I said in my posting a few days ago!    

According to the book "Music in the Market Place (the history of the 
great Wanamaker Store organ, which has a chapter on the bell), Cyril 
Johnston went to Philadelphia in January, 1926 to finalise the 
contract. It doesn't say when the first bell was cast, but that a 
telegram was received by Rodman Wanamaker on 28th May saying:

"greatly regret to inform you that owing to certain latent structural 
defects revealed today during final process of tuning am advised by 
independent eminent heavy castings foundry expert consulted by me with 
Johnston's concurrence that bell must be recast as these defects will 
develop and jeopardise safety of bell.   Johnston bitterly disappointed 
and agrees with decision.   Is immediately making preparations for 
recasting.
(signed) Newsom."

The recast bell was first heard at a press gathering at the G & J 
foundry on 6th December, 1926.

I rest my case!

Richard