In the 1930's, they introduced a small, approximately 100cm (39 inches) tall piano, which was willingly bought by customers as an alternative to larger and more expensive instruments (Wurlitzer spinet piano).
The company expanded into the United States by establishing upright piano factories in North Tonawanda, New York, and grand piano factories in de Kalb, Illinois.
In 1914 Franz Rudoph Wurlitzer died, after which the management of the company was taken over by his sons Howard, Rudolph and Farny. In 1909 the company was moved from Ohio to New York, and since 1910 the organ was produced there, among others, for the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatres, which can still be found in operas and museums. With the technological development at the beginning of the 20th century, the Wurlitzer became famous for its jukebox and coin-operated pianos. These were mid-range pianos, but very durable and solid as a good price/quality compromise. The production of Wulitzer pianos began in 1880 and was later sold in smaller retail stores. Initially he produced organs and melodicas. He opened a local factory in Cincinatti, Ohio in 1861. In a very similar period of time, the German Frank Rudolph Wurlitzer started his activity, who from 1853 brought instruments from The Wurlitzer Company in Germany to the USA. You may know that not only Henry Steinway is a German expatriate in the USA, who is famous for creating upright and grand pianos. Or maybe it is a "strange" instrument resembling an upright piano and we know only its brand name? If you have an instrument marked with the American name Wurlitzer - you're in the right place! In this article we will try to introduce you to the history, instruments and other inventions of this very factory. Even if you’re not exactly getting the band back together, we can promise that the range of antique and vintage instruments on 1stDibs can help strike a meaningful chord in your interior design plan.We often wonder what is the value of an inherited grand or upright piano we have at home? Think of them as eye-catching ornamental flourishes that you can bring to end tables in a common area, to the top of a desk or to a mid-century storage cabinet.īring culture and creativity into your space with decades-old plywood tabletop radios or musical instruments from all over the world - be they drums from Africa or harps from France. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects. If a room has no distinguishing architectural features, you could create a prominent focal point with trending paint colors, stylish shelving, an arrangement of flowers or by wall-mounting a spectacularly aging early-20th-century guitar or other stringed instrument.Īlternatively, much in the way that you might group a collection of artwork to hang salon-style, with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. If you’ve got more space to work with there - or perhaps you need some entertainment room ideas - consider positioning an old guitar as a focal point. At between four and five feet in length, an elegant early-1900s Steinway & Sons baby grand piano will undoubtedly steal the show if you’re thinking of yielding some precious real estate to one of these American classics, but maybe you’re simply shopping for art to warm the bare walls of your new apartment or weekend home.įor your living room, maybe you’ve already hunted down portraits by Gered Mankowitz, a celebrated 1960s-era photographer who spent his life capturing iconic images of music’s biggest stars. Whether you’re playing them or merely displaying them, vintage musical instruments, when cared for properly, can be a wonderful addition to any space.
Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments.