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John Snetzler organ
Clare college in Cambridge, pipe organ case 1755, restoration, pipe shades after repairs, Laurent Robert woodcarving

Restoration of John Snetzler pipe organ case and carvings for Clare college Cambridge, England.

Clare college in Cambridge, John Snetzler organ case carvings 1755, middle pipe shade in pieces, Laurent Robert woodcarver

The mahogany pipe shade taken apart for cleaning and re-gluing.

Clare college in Cambridge, John Snetzler organ case 1755, restoration, drawing and carving new section of middle pipe shade, Laurent Robert woodcarver

A matching piece of mahogany is inserted.

Clare college in Cambridge, John Snetzler organ case 1755, restoration carvings, new section of middle pipe shade A, Laurent Robert woodcarver

The shaping process can follow using the other side of the pipe shade as guidance.

Clare college in Cambridge, John Snetzler organ case 1755, restoration, carving new section of middle pipe shade, Laurent Robert woodcarver

Carving and matching up the repair

Clare college in Cambridge, pipe organ case 1755, restoration, middle pipe shade repaired, Laurent Robert woodcarving

John Snetzler organ builder and his brother Leonard built and carved this instrument in 1755. Natives of Switzerland, the brothers came to England where John set up his workshop in London, there they built many pipe organs for Britain and their colonies in America.

Chamber organs were important part of eighteenth-century Georgian interiors and many architects  incorporated these musical instruments very well into their own designs, John Snetzler and Robert Adam architect had worked together.

The organ case and pipe shades are of mahogany. The material in use for matching up the repairs were sourced from a period Georgian furniture.

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