VINTAGE 20thC AMERICAN WURLITZER 1800 JUKEBOX 1955
VINTAGE 20thC AMERICAN WURLITZER 1800 JUKEBOX 1955
Reference Number: D11755
A superb piece of 20th Century American memorabilia, the Wurlitzer 1800 was introduced in 1955 and marked the company’s first high-fidelity jukebox. Its rotating carousel holds fifty-two 45rpm vinyl singles, allowing a total of 104 selections. Unveiled on Wurlitzer National Day, the 1800 replaced the earlier 1700 model and was among the firm’s first machines designed specifically for 45rpm records.
Although it shared the same playing mechanism as its predecessor, the cabinet design was entirely new. A full-width speaker grille gave the machine a cleaner, more restrained appearance, while the mirrored backdrop of the 1700 was replaced by red panels with radiating chrome strips. The pilasters were slimmer, less colourful, and set inset rather than flanking the grille, contributing to a more understated overall look.
Sound quality is a particular strength, delivered through a powerful valve amplifier and twin 12-inch speakers. The model also incorporates Wurlitzer’s patented Cobra pickup system, first introduced in 1948 and widely regarded for setting new standards in audio performance. Like many jukeboxes of this period, it produces a warm, rich sound that is best appreciated in person. This example has been extensively refurbished.
Rudolph Wurlitzer was born in Germany in 1829 into a family of musical instrument makers and emigrated to the United States aged 24. Initially importing and selling his family’s instruments, he soon established manufacturing operations, producing the first Wurlitzer piano in the US in 1880. Electric pianos followed, then cinema and theatre organs; the famous ‘Mighty Wurlitzers’, which became synonymous with the era of silent film.
