For the musical instrument retailer, see E.U. Wurlitzer Music and Sound. For the German clarinet manufacturer, see Herbert Wurlitzer. For the builder of string instruments, see Rembert Wurlitzer Co.
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Rudolph Wurlitzer Company
Company type
Subsidiary
Founded
1853; 171 years ago (1853)
Founder
Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer
Headquarters
Cincinnati, Ohio and North Tonawanda, New York
,
United States
Products
Band organ Orchestrion Nickelodeon Pipe organ Theatre organ
Parent
Baldwin Piano Company
Website
Wurlitzer Jukeboxes
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati 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.[1] 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 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.
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 Company in 1988, and most piano manufacturing moved overseas. The Baldwin Co., including its Wurlitzer assets, was acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation 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.
Band organ
Nickelodeon
Jukebox
Theatre organ
Acoustic piano
Electric piano
Electronic organ
Electric guitar
^Ludwig, Corinna (June 26, 2013). "Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831–1914)". German Historical Institute Washington DC.
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