"Monkey Organ"

Marquetry
The How-To-Do-It Book

Purchase Jack's Book Here

Artist and Author Jack Garside explains the ancient art of Marquetry. Easy to follow instructions, information on over 50 different wood veneers, and some excellent completed projects. Numerous pictures and information about barrel organs which Jack has restored or rebuilt.

Castle Scene

This is the largest scene Jack has made, about 2ft. by 3ft. 1in. thick.. It began as a purchased line drawing, and progressed as veneers were cut and glued to the base with a rubber based glue. A year or so later Jack found out that the glue would only last seven years, and sure enough that is what happened. After seven years the burls and crotches started to curl up (they have more stress built into them) and flake off, shortly there after all the veneers were in trouble. He had to rebuild the piece using good glue.

Brooklyn Bridge, inspired by location of Jacks birthplace.

Barrel Organ's like this, were once heard from streetcorners at the turn of the century, They have turned into one of today's highly valued collectable treasures.

Many folks would call an instrument like this a "monkey organ", and that's fine because many of them were used this way in days gone by as street beggars eked out a living with one of these machines and a similar companion.