Austin, John Turnell

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Austin, John Turnell

Austin, John Turnell, English-American organ builder; b. Podington, Bedfordshire, May 16, 1869; d. Hartford, Conn., Sept. 17, 1948. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1889 and entered the employ of Ferrand & Votey in Detroit, where he experimented with his “universal wind-chest” system; in 1893 he joined Clough & Warren there, where he utilized his new system. In 1899 he settled in Hartford and founded his own firm, which he headed until his retirement in 1937 when it was reorganized as Austin Organs, Inc. Austin organs have been installed in many U.S. churches and concert halls.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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