The Argory Organ

As we ascend the fantastic staircase in The Argory, today I am showing you all the pieces of furniture in this comfortable first floor lobby at the top of the West Hall staircase which houses the most important  item in the whole house the organ  and you can also see in this first shot where the marbled decoration sets off to perfection the an array of early 19th century prints in gilt frames. 

 Busts of Walter McGeough Bond stand at each side of the lobby.  One  by sculptor, William Behnes dates back to 1823 and looks out from beside Bishop's organ. The other sculpture was made by Joesph Watkins in Dublin in 1866 in the last year of Walter's life. 

The crowning glory of the lobby- which was clearly intended as a living area rather than simply a way to access the bedrooms,  - is the extremely rare cabinet barrel organ that Walter  commissioned for his now house in 1822.  Built by James Bishop of London, it surviving mechanical barrels provide an unique insight into the arrangement and performance of late Georgian organ music.

A detail of the ceiling

Edith, our guide showed us a secret drawer in this piece of furniture and none of us guessed where it was, but my lips are sealed!

I leave you with a shot looking back over the staircase at the next group waiting to be shown around.

Thank you for visiting today and if you wish to view more interesting posts regarding The Argory (dining room last Monday), look in labels in the LH column of this blog, under The Argory.

Many thanks for all your comments