The Wurlitzer Company

Having come from a musical background, Rudolph Wurlitzer started his business in 1856 selling Regina music boxes and musical instruments. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio his quick success in 1860 with a military contract to supply bugles and drums lead to the companies’ expansion as a musical instrument manufacturer. Large military contracts were awarded during the Civil War and World War 1 which were very profitable. It should be noted that musical instruments were the primary means of entertainment in the 1860’s. As advancements in technology grew, and the communication industry became of age, that is when Wurlitzer sold Mohawk radios through their dealers. This lasted until Mohawk couldn’t pay their bills in 1930. That is when Wurlitzer took over Mohawk and expanded their operation into a huge plant in North Tonawanda, NY producing coin operated player pianos, church pipe organs, jukeboxes vending machines and “Lyric radios”. Wurlitzer employed some of the greatest wood craftsman and metal workers of that time.There was no doubt that you had to be at the top of your trade to have a job during the depression and few companies employed as many people as Wurlitzer.

It was Grigsby Grunow in 1931 who joined Wurlitzer as the vice president and general manager and it was Wurlitzers’ intent to use his guidance and/or contacts from the radio industry to produce amplifiers and speakers for the first electronic jukeboxes. Wurlitzer in 1933 acquired the automatic record changing patents. With this new technology and demand for phonograph songs and musical film recordings became the driving force for the coin operated phonographs and thus became the “jukebox” in 1934. During the depression any new product development was a major undertaking and financial risk, therefore careful marketing and elimination of lower profit items were necessary. As the demand grew in jukeboxes, it was realized that more selection of phonograph records meant greater profits for the establishment, therefore jukeboxes which only played 12 selections were destroyed and more elaborate machines with 50 selections became the standard.