Coin Slot Magazine - #028 - 1977 - May [International Arcade Museum]
Rudolph Wurlitzer & His Company
O1I1CG lO*51
STEVE SCHMITT
7150 Palmer Park Blvd.
Colorado Springs, Co 80915
Rudolph Wurlitzer, founder of the Wurlitzer company was born
January 30, 1831 in Schoeneck, Saxony into a family of musical
heritage.
Rudolph Wurlitzer came to the United States in 1853,
where he was employed by a banking firm in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1856 the Wurlitzer music business was founded in America. The
enterprise began in a small upstairs room at 4th and Sycamore Sts.
later that year he moved to larger quarters at 123 Main Street, both
locations in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1859 he quit the banking business
to devote all his time to the musical instrumental business.
He obtained a government contract for Army bugles in 1860, and
also began manufacture of Army drums. The Wurltizer business was
on its way.
Later that year he opened a retail music store. By 1865
he had opened a second retail music store in Chicago, which was
wiped out by fire in 1871.
Rudolph's younger brother Anton became a partner and they re
named the company, "Rudolph Wurlitzer and Bro." By 1880 in
the Cincinnati factory, they manufactured the first piano to carry
the "Wurlitzer" name. On March 25, 1890, the Rudolph Wurlitzer
Company became incorporated under an Ohio charter.
From
1898 through
1899 they filled a government contract for
trumpets and drums for the Spanish-American War.
Then in 1901
the Wurlitzer Tonophone (a coin-operated player piano, first devel
oped by DeKleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. of North Tonawanda,
N. Y.) won a gold medal at the Pan American Exposition.
In
1904 a disastrous fire destroyed the Wurlitzer headquarters at
Cincinnati.
It was rebuilt in 1906 at 121 East 4th St.
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By 1908 they
had opened a retail music store in New York City; and they pur
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The years 1910
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chased the DeKleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. and opened the
Wurlitzer engaged
in the manufacture of harps in Chicago which won a Medal of Award
at the Panama-Pacific Exposition.
They opened retail music stores
in Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Detroit.
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They introduced the "Mighty
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