New Life for Old Pipes

This afternoon, Erik and I picked up 5 organ pipes,wood flutes, that we purchased on Tuesday. My parents alerted us when they saw them for sale at Architechtural Artifacts. A few years ago, they bought several pipes at another architechtural salvage place in Chicago and hung them as a series of wall-mounted shelves in their dining room.

After searching through three floors of unusual items (marionettes, ancient dentist chairs, street lights, french bistro signs, giant light pixtures, pulpits…) we found the pipes.

Our pipes will take up residence in our storage area until we move sometime this summer, when they will begin a new life as shelves, or whatever else we can do with them.

I don’t know what organ builder made them, for what church. The only identifying information on them: each is stamped with its note and underneath “pedal bournais.” I love the idea that these pipes spent years making music, leading singing, and they will become a part of the place where I live.

Plus, we spent $40.00 to buy 5 pipes. Fine wood wall-mounted shelves would have cost much more.