overall: 33 cm x 22 cm x 14.6 cm; 13 in x 8 11/16 in x 5 3/4 in
overall: 13 in x 8 5/8 in x 9 in; 33.02 cm x 21.9075 cm x 22.86 cm
Object Name:
Jukebox
Place made:
United States: New York, North Tonawanda
Date made:
1950
Description:
Wurlitzer Model 1100 Wall Selector Unit with Main Sending Unit, c. 1950, used in a diner booth in a restaurant or luncheonette and was used to operate the Wurlitzer Jukebox Model 1100 (#1999.3048.01). The remote box consists of a chrome metal box with a wall mounting plate on the back. There are twenty-four push buttons with labels for choosing a record selection.
Wurlitzer machines were regarded, in their times, as having superior fidelity and reproduction, along with outstanding and eye-catching designs. The company was slow to adapt to the 45 RPM speed and the 1100 was the first of their machines to be used on a wide scale for the smaller records. (The 45 was the dominant speed for the years in which the jukebox business flourished throughout the U.S., mainly in the 1950s and 1960s.) The Wurlitzer Model 1100 was introduced in 1948. It was manufactured in North Tonawanda, New York. The machines were distributed and used throughout the nation. By 1950, when this particular model was built, there were approximately 400,000 jukeboxes in use around the U.S., and Wurlitzer, along with Seeburg, was one of the two largest manufacturers of the machines. The 1100 was the last machine designed for the company by Paul Fuller, who created the company's signature designs throughout the 1940s.
