Mortier organ

Pipe organ manufactured by the Mortier company with 81 keys and 16 registers, and an electrically-powered ventilator. The organ is made up of decorative sculptures and painted panels.

Dance organs are a Belgian phenomenon. They were unusually popular around 1900, particularly in Antwerp and Brussels, but also in the south of the Netherlands. Antwerp builders like Mortier and Decap became the market leaders in this ceremonial industry.
The organs were ingenious machines that got people dancing. They were created before the invention of the radio. The organ rental sector became a strong competitor to dance orchestras.
Dance organs were rented for fairs and parties and were given a permanent home in dance palaces and roadside cafés. They could be enormous and were fitted with moving parts, self-playing instruments and lighting effects. Most were repeatedly updated to suit the changes in style and taste in music. From the 1960s onwards they were forced to make way for DJs.