Wurlitzer began life back in the mid 1800s when Rudolph Wurlitzer founded the company in 1856, originally importing musical instruments from his native home of Saxony. During the 1920s, the Wurlitzer Company built some of the world's finest cinema organs, and their famous manufacturing plant in North Tonawanda (near buffalo - New York State) was acquired in 1908. They continued to dominate the market until the introduction of the talking movie, and were perfectly placed to capture the emerging new jukebox market...
In 1933 a chance meeting between Homer C. Capehart and Farny Wurlitzer changed the production of the manufacturing plant. Capehart persuaded Wurlitzer that the jukebox had incredible potential and that production should begin immediately. Capehart promised to sell 25,000 units by 1936, but sales wildly exceeded their expectations and, in that year alone, they sold 44,000 jukeboxes.
In the late 1930's, spurred on by the success of the jukebox, Wurlitzer employed a designer called Paul Fuller. His innovative use of materials and styling brought moving coloured lights, bubble tubes, plastic panels, polarising units, and fine art deco nickel work to the company which was later to become part of their trademark.
At the end of the war Wurlitzer produced probably its most famous design: Paul Fuller's Model 1015 jukebox (1946-7). It took the world by storm, and has now become an item synonymous with GIs, Willys Jeeps and Coke Cola. The 1015 had 8 bubble tubes, changing lights and an illuminated domed top - the model jukebox, the epitome of an era.
In the 1950's, Wurlitzer founded a factory in the reconstruction of Germany and started producing simple lift arm mechanisms and uncluttered jukebox cabinets. By the 1960's, all production had switched to Europe, and the flat deck mechanism (found in all Wurlitzer jukeboxes today) was created. This very same design, and with very little modification, is still in use today but now playing CDs with microprosessor technology and powerful solid state amplifiers. The North Tonawanda plant ceased production in the early 1970s.
In recent years, Wurlitzer has remained extremely successful, producing a complete range of up to date jukeboxes playing vinyl, 45s and MP3s as well as its highly popular reincarnation of the 1015 - The One More Time.
