The grand-orgue of the Church of Notre-Dame de la Dalbade in Toulouse immediately impresses visitors with the imposing size of its neo-Gothic case. Neo-Gothic of course means 19th Century which, where French organ building is concerned, is in turn synonymous with the great Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. There were however other talented organ builders working at that time. These included Joseph Merklin, Louis Debierre, Jean-Baptiste Stoltz and the Puget family from Toulouse, which produced several generations of organ builders. It was Eugène Puget who built the organ for the Church of la Dalbade. It was inaugurated on the 22nd of November 1888 with Charles-Marie Widor in person on the manuals. The instrument conforms to the symphonic model then in fashion. Its well-dimensioned bellows provide a reliable air supply to its fifty-one stops over three manuals and a pedalboard. The acoustic range of this richly-toned instrument extends from the thirty-two foot pedal soubasse to the one-foot piccolo. All the families of stops (principals, flutes and bourdons, gambas, loud and soft reeds, free reed stops, simple or complex mutations) are well represented. The pneumatic Barker levers, named after the English organ builder who invented the system, provide the organist with great flexibility. The instrument underwent certain modifications in the 1930s before being put back into service, following work by the principal organist and organ builder Gérard Bancells, assisted by Philippe Bachet. This renovation has prolonged the life of the organ of the Church of Notre-Dame de la Dalbade of Toulouse, though signs of wear and tear are appearing, suggesting that a considerable restoration effort will eventually be called for.