Great Bells in Carillons of North America

Here are listed the 67 great bells which are found in North American carillons, each linked to the site data page for the instrument which contains it.  All are in traditional carillons except for two which are the sub-bourdons of non-traditional carillons.

Following the listing are some Curiosities, or observations about the data found here.

Column headings in the table are as follows:

Site id

as found at the head of the site data page for the instrument, and as used in indexes.

"*#*" on a blank line marks the placement and number of great bells on this continent which are not contained in carillons, and links to the appropriate point in the list of such bells.

Nr

Bell numbers shown are relative to each instrument's own bourdon, which is designated as #1, except "Sub" for sub-bourdon (i.e., separated from the next largest bell by more than a whole tone).

P

The pitch (strike tone) of the bell

Wt

Weights are given in pounds avoirdupois.  Bells are listed in descending order by weight; bells of unknown weight are grouped after other bells of the same pitch.  Bells of the same weight are listed in alphabetic order by city.
The tilde (~) denotes weights which are known to be estimated.  Other weights may also be estimates (especially those which are round numbers).

M/Year

Maker and Year (when installed, except for G&J)
  E = Eijsbouts
  F = Petit & Fritsen
  G = Gillett & Johnston (despatched weight & year cast per tuning books)
  P = Paccard
  T = Taylor
  W = Whitechapel (Mears & Stainbank)
  d = anonymous Dutch (Eijsbouts/Petit & Fritsen/Vanbergen)

Notes

Bells which also swing are so marked.
"=" flags reported weight when probably rounded in British Imperial measure or in short tons

Table of Great Bells in North American Carillons

  Site ID                                  Nr   P     Wt     M/Year   Notes
________________________________________   __   __   _____   ______   _____
*1*
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #1   C    40926   G/1928   swings
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #1   C#   36990   G/1929   swings
*3*
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #2   D    28588   G/1927
*2*
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #3   D#   26385   G/1927
*1*
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #2   D#   25620   G/1929
WASHINGTON - NC/1          : USA - DC      #1   D#   23583   T/1964
ANN ARBOR - UM/1           : USA - MI      #1   D#   23579   T/1936
LAKE WALES - B             : USA - FL      #1   D#   23246   T/1928
OTTAWA - PT                : CANADA - ON   #1   E    22244   G/1927
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #3   E    20649   G/1929
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #4   E    20510   G/1925
*1*
NIAGARA FALLS - RB         : CANADA - ON   #1   E    19640   T/1948
*1*
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #4   F    18577   G/1929
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #5   F    18179   G/1929   swings
LAKE WALES - B             : USA - FL      #2   F    16384   T/1928
*1*
WASHINGTON - NC/1          : USA - DC      #2   F    16149   T/1964
ANN ARBOR - UM/1           : USA - MI      #2   F    16145   T/1936
*1*
OTTAWA - PT                : CANADA - ON   #2   F#   15523   G/1927
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #5   F#   15503   G/1929   swings
SPRINGFIELD -  TR          : USA - IL      #1   F#   14900   F/1962
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #6   F#   14560   G/1925   = 6.5 tonnes
*2*
WASHINGTON - NC/1          : USA - DC      #3   F#   13832   T/1964
LAWRENCE - KU              : USA - KS      #1   F#   13776   T/1951
NEW HAVEN - YU             : USA - CT      #1   F#   13496   T/1921
NIAGARA FALLS - RB         : CANADA - ON   #2   F#   13493   T/1948
ANN ARBOR - UM/1           : USA - MI      #3   F#   13438   T/1936
*1*
LAKE WALES - B             : USA - FL      #3   F#   13335   T/1928
WASHINGTON - TM            : USA - DC     Sub   G    13250   P/1959   swings
*3*
PRINCETON - PU             : USA - NJ      #1   G    12906   G/1927
OTTAWA - PT                : CANADA - ON   #3   G    12861   G/1926
*1*
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #6   G    12621   G/1929
ARLINGTON                  : USA - VA      #1   G   ~12500   d/1960
*1*
SAN FRANCISCO - GC         : USA - CA     Sub   G    12001   G/1938   swings
BLOOMFIELD HILLS - KH/1    : USA - MI      #1   G    11685   F/1960
DENVER - DU                : USA - CO      #1   G    11684   E/1999   = 5300 kg
*1*
BLOOMINGTON - 1            : USA - IN      #1   G   ~11500   E/2019
*1*
COHASSET                   : USA - MA      #1   G    11353   G/1927
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #7   G    11346   G/1925   swings
*1*
OTTAWA - PT                : CANADA - ON   #4   G#   11168   G/1926
DURHAM - DU                : USA - NC      #1   G    11156   T/1932
NIAGARA FALLS - RB         : CANADA - ON   #3   G    11151   T/1948
ANN ARBOR - UM/1           : USA - MI      #4   G    11111   T/1936
NEW HAVEN - YU             : USA - CT      #2   G    11088   T/1921
LAKE WALES - B             : USA - FL      #4   G    11003   T/1928
RICHMOND - WM              : USA - VA      #1   G    11002   T/1932
CENTRALIA                  : USA - IL      #1   G    11000   P/1983   = 5.5 tons
ANN ARBOR - UM/2           : USA - MI      #1   G    11000   E/1996
NAPERVILLE                 : USA - IL      #1   G   ~11000   E/2000 
INDIANAPOLIS - SRC         : USA - IN      #1   G    10972   T/1929
ALBANY - CH                : USA - NY      #1   G    10953   T/1927
*2*
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #7   G#   10749   G/1929   swings
WASHINGTON - NC/1          : USA - DC      #4   G    10703   T/1964
*1*
BERKELEY - UC              : USA - CA      #1   G    10580   P/1983
*4*
MEXICO CITY - BNOP         : MEXICO        #1   G            F/1963
HAMILTON - CCK             : CANADA - ON   #1   G#    9500   W/1933
WASHINGTON - NC/1          : USA - DC      #5   G#    9500   T/1964
LAKE WALES - B             : USA - FL      #5   G#    9430   T/1928
*2*
NIAGARA FALLS - RB         : CANADA - ON   #4   G#    9325   T/1948
NEW HAVEN - YU             : USA - CT      #3   G#    9311   T/1966
OTTAWA - PT                : CANADA - ON   #5   A     9301   G/1926
*1*
PRINCETON - PU             : USA - NJ      #2   A     9295   G/1927
ANN ARBOR - UM/1           : USA - MI      #5   G#    9291   T/1936
LAWRENCE - KU              : USA - KS      #2   G#    9257   T/1951
*1*
NEW YORK - RC              : USA - NY      #8   G#    9225   G/1925
CHICAGO - UC               : USA - IL      #8   A     9001   G/1929
BERKELEY - UC              : USA - CA      #2   G#    9000   P/1983   = 4.5 tons
SPRINGFIELD -  TR          : USA - IL      #2   G#           F/1962
*1*

Curiosities:

Notice the two G# bells which appear to be out of place among the G bells, and the three A bells which appear to be out of place among the G# bells.  They illustrate the exceptionally heavy profile used by Gillett & Johnston in three carillons.  That can also be seen by the relative positions of the deeper bass bells of the same instruments.

There are 67 great bells in the table above.
Their distribution by maker and year is shown here:

     1920s  30s  40s  50s  60s  70s  80s  90s 2000s  TOTAL
  E     .    .    .    .    .    .    .    2    2      4
  F     .    .    .    .    4    .    .    .    .      4
  G    24    1    .    .    .    .    .    .    .     25
  P     .    .    .    1    .    .    3    .    .      4
  T     9    7    4    2    6    .    .    .    .     28
  W     .    1    .    .    .    .    .    .    .      1
  d     .    .    .    .    1    .    .    .    .      1
       --   --   --   --   --   --   --   --   --     --
TOTAL  33    9    4    3   11    0    3    2    2     67

From this table, one can see that
- the Gillett & Johnston foundry had an enormous production in the 1920s, but faded away thereafter;
- the Taylor foundry produced more consistently across a span of 50+ years;
- Whitechapel and the continental foundries have had the ability to cast great bells, but rarely have been called on to do so (at least in the context of North American carillons);
- the first decade after the introduction of the modern carillon to North America was a "golden age" with respect to installation of heavy carillons;
- there was a minor peak in the 1960s, perhaps related to the completion of economic recovery following World War II.

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This page was created 2002/01/04 and last revised 2020/01/31.

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