Mar 2, 2017
Mary Hallock-Greenewalt, photographic portrait with color organ, 1922
Inventor and pianist, Mary Hallock-Greenewalt (1871-1950) is best known for creating a distinct color organ which she called “Sarabet.” Born in Beirut, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire, Mary moved to Philadelphia as a teenager where she studied piano at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. She later performed with the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh symphonies as a soloist. Mary produced hand-painted film strips (perhaps the oldest hand-painted film still extant) that were intended to be performed with early versions of her color organ.
This photograph, taken in 1922, shows Mary dressed as if for a performance with Sarabet.
-Andrew
