I learnt to play piano on an American organ in the mid 1940's. At least, I had lessons on my teacher's piano, and practised on our organ at home. I restored it in about 1954, and it was given to a local chapel - I wish I still had it.

In the pedalled instruments, there is some confusion about terminology between harmonium and American organ.

The American organs, turned out in their thousands in the 1800s, were all suction instruments. The bellows at rest were fully expanded - pedalling extracted the air until they were closed, while the springs expanded them, sucking air through the reeds. On an instrument in good condition, with the bellows fully closed, you could play at least one line of a hymn tune before the sound died.

What I always understood as a harmonium was a pressure instrument - pumping closed the bellows, forcing air through the reeds. Few of them had a significant air reservoir - 2 or 3 notes maximum if you stopped pumping. The term 'harmonium' was often applied to both types of instrument.

The most interesting American organ I've seen was in Ethiopia, in an old Norwegian mission. Made in Norway in 1872, it was in sad condition when I saw it, hadn't been used for 40 years, and was too big to bring home!

Phil