Salon Organ (harmonium with mirror), Åmål Factory, c. 1915, KH 167 (2004)
Factory in Åmål from 1901 (seen here from the back) was above all known for their organs. Everything from chamber organs, salon organ, chapel organ, school organs, and playing devices to harmoniums with several manuals were built in this factory.
Anders Gustaf Rålin (1842-1906) was from Ånimskog in Dalsland. He learned the carpentry trade from his father, and at the age of 28 he made his first organ. According to an advertisement, he opened a factory in Ånimskog in 1876. Between 1879 and 1884 he visited America twice to develop his profession.
A. G. Rålin Orgelfabrik was founded in 1885. The move to the nearby town of Åmål took place in the fall of 1892. In 1901, a larger stone factory was built (left), and pianos were also included in the manufacturing.
When AB Förenade Piano– och Orgelfabriker was formed in 1918, Rålins was part of it. The Åmål factory existed until 1935, when the production was moved to Arvika but was soon closed down (1939).
The salon organ with mirror appears in the factory catalogs from 1906 and 1916, but differs in the decoration. Our example is identical to the catalog image from 1916 and should therefore be from around 1915.