American company of music boxes and instruments

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wurlitzer</span>

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Wurlitzer

<p>The <b>Rudolph Wurlitzer Company</b>, usually referred to as simply <b>Wurlitzer</b>, is an American company started in <a href="/en/Cincinnati" title="Cincinnati" class="wl">Cincinnati</a> in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to defense contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> In 1880, the company began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to <a href="/en/North_Tonawanda,_New_York" title="North Tonawanda, New York" class="wl">North Tonawanda, New York</a>. It quickly expanded to make <a href="/en/Fairground_organ" title="Fairground organ" class="wl">band organs</a>, <a href="/en/Orchestrion" title="Orchestrion" class="wl">orchestrions</a>, <a href="/en/Player_pianos" title="Player pianos" class="mw-redirect wl">player pianos</a> and <a href="/en/Pipe_organs" title="Pipe organs" class="mw-redirect wl">pipe</a> or <a href="/en/Theatre_organs" title="Theatre organs" class="mw-redirect wl">theatre organs</a> popular in theatres during the days of silent movies.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">American company of music boxes and instruments</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Type, Founded, Founder, Headquarters, Product...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox vcard mobile-collapse-element"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">Rudolph Wurlitzer Company</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image logo"><span><a href="/en/File:Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" title="The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company logo on a pipe organ" data-hash="File:Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company logo on a pipe organ" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg/246px-Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1800" data-file-height="1316" data-file-type="bitmap" height="180" width="246" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg/369px-Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg/492px-Rudolph_Wurlitzer_label.jpg 2x"></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Type</th><td class="infobox-data category" style="line-height: 1.35em;"><a href="/en/Subsidiary" title="Subsidiary" class="wl">Subsidiary</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Founded</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height: 1.35em;">1853<span class="noprint"><span>;</span><span> </span>170<span>&nbsp;</span>years ago</span><span style="display:none"><span>&nbsp;</span>(<span class="bday dtstart published updated">1853</span>)</span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Founder</th><td class="infobox-data agent" style="line-height: 1.35em;">Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Headquarters</th><td class="infobox-data adr" style="line-height: 1.35em;"><div style="display: inline;" class="locality"><a href="/en/Cincinnati,_Ohio" title="Cincinnati, Ohio" class="mw-redirect wl">Cincinnati, Ohio</a> and <a href="/en/North_Tonawanda,_New_York" title="North Tonawanda, New York" class="wl">North Tonawanda, New York</a></div>, <div style="display: inline;" class="country-name">United States</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Products</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height: 1.35em;"><a href="/en/Fairground_organ" title="Fairground organ" class="wl">Band organ</a><br><a href="/en/Orchestrion" title="Orchestrion" class="wl">Orchestrion</a><br><a href="/en/Nickelodeon_(movie_theater)" title="Nickelodeon (movie theater)" class="wl">Nickelodeon</a><br><a href="/en/Pipe_organ" title="Pipe organ" class="wl">Pipe organ</a> <br> <a href="/en/Theatre_organ" title="Theatre organ" class="wl">Theatre organ</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="/en/Parent_company" title="Parent company" class="mw-redirect wl">Parent</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height: 1.35em;"><a href="/en/Baldwin_Piano_Company" title="Baldwin Piano Company" class="wl">Baldwin Piano Company</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 0.5em;">Website</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height: 1.35em;"><a rel="mw:ExtLink nofollow" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070711154502/http://www.gibson.com/products/wurlitzer/" class="external text" target="_blank">Wurlitzer Jukeboxes</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>

<p>Wurlitzer is most known for their production of entry level pianos. During the 1960s, they manufactured Spinet, Console, Studio and Grand Pianos. Over time, Wurlitzer acquired a number of other companies which made a variety of loosely related products, including kitchen appliances, carnival rides, player piano rolls and radios. Wurlitzer also operated a chain of retail stores where the company's products were sold.</p>

<p>As technology evolved, Wurlitzer began producing <a href="/en/Wurlitzer_electric_piano" title="Wurlitzer electric piano" class="mw-redirect wl">electric pianos</a>, <a href="/en/Electronic_organ" title="Electronic organ" class="mw-redirect wl">electronic organs</a> and <a href="/en/Jukebox" title="Jukebox" class="wl">jukeboxes</a>, and it eventually became known more for jukeboxes and vending machines, which are still made by Wurlitzer, rather than for actual musical instruments.</p>

<p>Wurlitzer's jukebox operations were sold and moved to Germany in 1973. The Wurlitzer piano and organ brands and U.S. manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano &amp; Organ Co. (commonly called the <a href="/en/Baldwin_Piano_Company" title="Baldwin Piano Company" class="wl">Baldwin Piano Company</a>) in 1988, and most piano manufacturing moved overseas. The Baldwin Co., including its Wurlitzer assets, was subsequently acquired by the <a href="/en/Gibson_Guitar_Corporation" title="Gibson Guitar Corporation" class="mw-redirect wl">Gibson Guitar Corporation</a> in about 1996. Ten years later, Gibson acquired Deutsche Wurlitzer and the Wurlitzer Jukebox and Vending Electronics trademarks, briefly reuniting Wurlitzer's best-known products under a single corporate banner in 2006. Baldwin ceased making Wurlitzer-brand pianos in 2009. Vending machines are still manufactured in Germany using the Wurlitzer name under Gibson ownership. The company ceased manufacturing jukeboxes in 2013, but still sells replacement parts.</p>

<p>The <a href="/en/Rembert_Wurlitzer_Co." title="Rembert Wurlitzer Co." class="wl">Rembert Wurlitzer Co.</a>, Wurlitzer's rare and historic stringed instrument department, was independently directed by Rudolph Wurlitzer's grandson, Rembert Wurlitzer (1904–1963), from 1948 until his death in 1963. Rembert's shop on 42nd Street in <a href="/en/New_York_City" title="New York City" class="wl">New York City</a> was a leading international center for rare and historic string instruments.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span></p>

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.trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright" about="#mwt23"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:322px;max-width:322px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:84px;max-width:84px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Band_organs" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG/82px-Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="3648" data-file-height="5472" data-file-type="bitmap" height="123" width="82" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG/123px-Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG/164px-Wurlitzer_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06374.JPG 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><span style="font-size:90%;"><a href="#Band_organs" target="_blank">Band organ</a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:78px;max-width:78px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Nickelodeons_and_player_pianos" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG/76px-Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="3015" data-file-height="4893" data-file-type="bitmap" height="123" width="76" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG/114px-Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG/152px-Wurlitzer_closed_-_Bayernhof_Museum_-_DSC06202.JPG 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><span style="font-size:90%;"><a href="#Nickelodeons_and_player_pianos" target="_blank">Nickelodeon</a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:68px;max-width:68px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Jukeboxes" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_1015.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Wurlitzer_1015.jpg/66px-Wurlitzer_1015.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="486" data-file-height="910" data-file-type="bitmap" height="124" width="66" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Wurlitzer_1015.jpg/99px-Wurlitzer_1015.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Wurlitzer_1015.jpg/132px-Wurlitzer_1015.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Jukeboxes" target="_blank">Jukebox</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:84px;max-width:84px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Theatre_organs" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg/82px-Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1130" data-file-height="1695" data-file-type="bitmap" height="123" width="82" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg/123px-Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg/164px-Organo_Wurlitzer_Opus_2064_Berlin_040811.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Theatre_organs" target="_blank">Theatre organ</a></div></div></div></div></div><div style="position:relative;top:-2em;"><div class="thumb tmulti tright" about="#mwt26"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:322px;max-width:322px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:94px;max-width:94px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Acoustic_pianos" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg/92px-Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="612" data-file-height="612" data-file-type="bitmap" height="92" width="92" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg/138px-Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg/184px-Wurlitzer_Baby_Grand_Piano_%28by_Daniel_Means%29.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Acoustic_pianos" target="_blank">Acoustic piano</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:86px;max-width:86px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Electric_pianos" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_206A.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wurlitzer_206A.jpg/84px-Wurlitzer_206A.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="623" data-file-height="687" data-file-type="bitmap" height="93" width="84" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wurlitzer_206A.jpg/126px-Wurlitzer_206A.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wurlitzer_206A.jpg/168px-Wurlitzer_206A.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Electric_pianos" target="_blank">Electric piano</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:95px;max-width:95px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Electronic_organs" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg/93px-Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1524" data-file-height="1521" data-file-type="bitmap" height="93" width="93" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg/140px-Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg/186px-Wurlitzer_electronic_organ_%28blur%29.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Electronic_organs" target="_blank">Electronic organ</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:39px;max-width:39px"><div class="thumbimage"><span><a href="#Electric_guitars" title="Wurlitzer" class="image" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" alt="Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg/37px-Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="420" data-file-height="1066" data-file-type="bitmap" height="94" width="37" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg/56px-Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg/74px-Wurlitzer_Gemini_1965_-_silhouette.jpg 2x"></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="#Electric_guitars" target="_blank">Electric guitar</a></div></div></div></div></div></div>



The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to defense contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military. In 1880, the company began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe or theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies. Wurlitzer is most known for their production of entry level pianos. During the 1960s, they manufactured Spinet, Console, Studio and Grand Pianos. Over time, Wurlitzer acquired a number of other companies which made a variety of loosely related products, including kitchen appliances, carnival rides, player piano rolls and radios. Wurlitzer also operated a chain of retail stores where the company's products were sold. As technology evolved, Wurlitzer began producing electric pianos, electronic organs and jukeboxes, and it eventually became known more for jukeboxes and vending machines, which are still made by Wurlitzer, rather than for actual musical instruments. 