Wurlitzer

Rudolph Wurlitzer, born in 1829 in Schilbach, Saxony, belonged to a family that had been making musical instruments since the 17th century. In 1853 Rudolph Wurlitzer emigrated to the United States and founded the “Rudolph Wurlitzer Company” in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1856. After importing musical instruments from Germany in 1880, he began manufacturing his own pianos. In 1933 Farny Wurlitzer, son and successor, acquired the patents and in the same year produced the first prototype jukebox, the “Debutante.” The company is moved to North Tonawanda, New York. After the typical wooden design of the 1930s, colored plastic parts and bubble cylinders are later incorporated. The most successful models up to the Wurlitzer 1100 were designed by noted industrial designer Paul Fuller. This golden age saw the birth of the Wurlitzer 1015 one of the most famous models, which has become the icon of the jukebox over the years.