The Wurlitzer family had a reputation for purchasing and making very fine instruments dating back to the 17th century in Saxony (a German-speaking region that became part of Germany in 1945). In 1853, 22-year-old Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer emigrated to the U.S. to make his own way, rather than joining the family business as was traditionally done. Starting out in New Jersey and travelling to Philadelphia, he was unable to find employment until he found a job in Cincinnati as a door-to-door salesman. In 1854 he got a cashier job at a bank and was able to save enough money to contact his family back in Europe and request they send him some of their high-quality instruments. He sold a selection of woodwind instruments direct to local retailers that had previously gone through a succession of middlemen to import their instruments.

In 1856 Wurlitzer officially founded The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in Cincinnati, Ohio as a musical instrument import business. He started out operating out of 3 small rooms on a part-time basis while still working at his job as a cashier at the bank. Wurlitzer’s import business grew quickly and moved to a new building in 1858. He opened a retail store with a showroom in 1860. He supplied drums and other musical instruments to the U.S. Army during the Civil War and by 1865 he was the largest supplier of band instruments in the country.

Wurlitzer made the transition from importing to manufacturing, and in 1880, Wurlitzer built and sold the first American-made Wurlitzer piano. The manufacturing took place in a factory located in North Tonawanda, New York. In 1889, Wurlitzer’s son, Howard joined the business. In 1896 they introduced the first coin-operated electric piano, called the “Tonophone”. In 1901 the Tonophone won the Gold Medal Award at the Pan American Exposition. The next major innovation produced by the Wurlitzer Company was the Mighty Wurlitzer. This was an organ that was used in cinemas and theaters during the silent movie era, supplying some background music.

The combination of “talkie” movies and the onset of the Depression of 1929 created very hard times for Wurlitzer. Their stock had fallen from a high of $119 a share in 1928 to $10 in 1933 and the company was in serious debt. The Wurlitzer Company convinced Homer Capehart to join their company to serve as their general manager and bring with him his rights to the Multi-Selector record-changing system that he had bought from the Simplex Manufacturing Company. This device allowed customers to insert a nickel and select a particular record to listen to on a phonograph, rather than only being able to listen to the records play in the order in which they were stacked. The Wurlitzer Company knew that Prohibition would soon be coming to an end and there would be a huge demand for coin-operated music. By 1937 Wurlitzer had sold over 100,000 phonographs and they dominated the phonograph market. The jukebox became known as the “small man’s concert hall” and today the Wurlitzer jukebox will always be associated with the Big Band Era due to its great success during that time period from the 1930s to the late 1940s. This is referred to today as the Golden Age of jukeboxes.

In 1946 the model 1015 Wurlitzer jukebox was introduced and they sold 56,000 units in less than two years. But Wurlitzer lost their edge in the jukebox market with the creation of the 45-rpm record. Their chief competitor, Seeburg, released a phonograph that was able to hold 50 records as opposed to Wurlitzer’s 24. Also, Seeburg’s jukebox was capable of playing both sides of a record, making it the first 100-selection juke. Wurlitzer was not able to come out with a competitive mechanism and Seeburg succeeded in dominating the jukebox market throughout the 1950s.

By the early 1970s Wurlitzer had virtually given up all jukebox production. They had some success in the 1980s with a return to retro and the re-release of the Wurlitzer 1015 jukebox. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1015 in 1986, it was released once more and called the “One More Time”. It was a unique juke, with 1946 styling and state-of-the-art music technology. The Gibson Guitar Corporation bought the Wurlitzer Jukebox Company in 2006 and they continue to produce jukeboxes today in their manufacturing plant in Hullhorst, Germany.

The Wurlitzer 1100 Jukebox was produced from 1947 to 1949. The look of the 1100 is indicative of the move away from 1940’s art deco design to the more modern look favored in the 1950’s. This was one of the first models where the glass dome over the record player is larger and can be opened up. The 1100 is a 24-selection jukebox that plays 78-RPM shellac records. Artists you can hear on records of the time are the great performers like Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Judy Garland. The domed glass front allows you to watch the arm lift the record onto the turntable. As the jukebox plays, brilliant multi-colored lights rotate within the pilasters, creating an impressive light show. The extensive chrome reflects the lights as the jukebox plays.

Dimensions: 57 7/8”H x 30 1/2”W x 27 1/4”D
Weight: 355 lbs.

Manufactured by:
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.
North Tonawanda, NY

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

View the video of the Wurlitzer 1100

The Wurlitzer 1015 Jukebox was introduced in 1946, after WWII ended and building materials became available again. The 1015 brought the Wurlitzer Company great success, allowing it to rebound from near-bankruptcy brought on by the Depression. The 1015 pushed Wurlitzer forward as the leader of jukebox manufacturing, with 56,000 units being sold in less than 2 years. This was the Golden Age of jukebox production. And the 1015 wasn’t just a huge hit in the United States, but also appeared anywhere Americans went, following GIs all over the globe.

Also called the “1015-Bubbler”, this juke is arguably the most popular jukebox of all time. It was conceptualized by the famous designer Paul Fuller (who was chief designer with the Wurlitzer Company from 1935-1948). The ornate design of 1940’s jukeboxes has been referred to as “gothic” or having a “cathedral” look, but this juke has more of an art deco influence. With its illuminated, color-changing pilasters, 8 bubble tubes, shiny chrome and domed top, it is reflective of the positive, uplifted attitude of the post-war nation. The coin-operated 1015 plays 78-RPM records and has push-button Multi-Selector technology, allowing selected records to be played.

The model 1015 was produced from 1946 to 1947, and was so popular that many of them were utilized right into the 50’s. This longevity is responsible for the 1015’s association with the 1950’s sock-hop era. By 1954 the 45-RPM records were becoming so popular that the Wurlitzer factory introduced conversion kits for their jukeboxes so they could play them. In addition, the Wurlitzer 1015 was such a popular model of jukebox that in 1986 Wurlitzer celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1015 by manufacturing it once again and dubbing it the “One More Time”. It had the classic design of the 1015 with all the latest technology, including the ability to play CDs.

Through the years, there have been many Wurlitzer 1015s that appeared in background shots of TV shows and films like “Cheers”, “Friends”, “Back to the Future” and “On the Waterfront”.

Dimensions:
60”H x 32”W x 24 1/4”D

Weight: 355 lbs.

Manufactured by:

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.

North Tonawanda, NY

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.