Celebrated Jukebox Design
Wurlitzer was known for its classic jukebox design from the 1930s and 1940s, although the American company began as a piano manufacturer in the late 1800s. It quickly expanded into manufacturing coin-operated record players and, as moviegoing became more popular, cinema organs. Wurlitzer branched into jukeboxes and freezers after the 1929 Wall Street Crash, creating its first jukebox in 1934 (the tenselection Model P10) and hiring Paul Fuller as its principal designer in 1935. Despite stiff competition from Seeburg, AMI, and RockOla, it quickly rose to the field’s top.
During Fuller’s thirteen years at Wurlitzer, the company’s designs were distinguished by theatrical lighting effects (such as those produced by “bubble tubes,” colour filters, and polarised film), coloured plastics, and chromium plating. The 312 (1936), the arch-topped 750 Peacock (1941), and the extremely popular 1015 were among the great models of these years (1946).
Most Successful Jukebox Design
The latter was the most commercially successful jukebox design ever, with over 56,000 units sold in the first eighteen months of its release. Its primary visual design aspects inspired new models in the 1980s, notably the One More Time CD jukebox, which used computerised technology rather than the considerably older phonograph technology of the pre-WWII ‘golden period’ of jukebox designs and production. Jukeboxes were no longer fashionable in the 1960s, thus, the firm stopped producing them in the United States, though its German counterpart continued to do so.
Sources
Woodham, J. M. (2006). A dictionary of modern design. Oxford University Press.
More Classic Design
-
Jukebox Design by Wurlitzer iconic Americana
Jukebox Designs by Wurlitzer were celebrated for the iconic designs adopting “bubble tubes”, coloured filters and plastics. READ MORERead More →
-
Kaare Klint’s “KK47000” Safari Chair: A Refined and Iconic Design
Kaare Klint’s “KK47000” Safari Chair is a refined and iconic design that combines historical influences with modern sensibilities. Inspired by British campaign furniture, the chair features a simple ash wood frame, exquisite leather components, and visible joinery. Read More →
-
No. 22 Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia
No. 22 Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia. Many would argue that this is more of a sculpture than a chair. READ MORERead More →
-
The Osterizer Blender: A Glimpse of Design Innovation and Culinary Magic
Explore the rich history and innovative design of the Osterizer blender, a revolutionary kitchen appliance introduced in the 1950s. Known for its exceptional functionality and aesthetic appeal, the Osterizer blender has left a lasting impact on both domestic and professional cooking environments, blending efficiency and style. Its timeless design continues to inspire culinary creativity, making…
-
The Moka Express (Design Classic) – simple ☕ coffee-making machine
Designed and Made in Italy The Moka Express is a straightforward stovetop coffee maker. It unscrews in the centre, and water is poured into the bottom compartment. Read More →
-
Treforchette Table Lamp (1997) Designer: Michelle de Lucchi
This sofa is designed in a so-called minimalist style that is basic and unadorned. Throughout the late 1980s, this emergent style had a significant impact on design in Europe. The sofa in question results from a significant collaboration between a talented young designer and a manufacturer committed to promoting new design.Read More →
-
Sofa (1988) Designer: Jasper Morrison
This sofa is designed in a so-called minimalist style that is basic and unadorned. Throughout the late 1980s, this emergent style had a significant impact on design in Europe. The sofa in question results from a significant collaboration between a talented young designer and a manufacturer committed to promoting new design.Read More →
-
Teapot with warmer by Christopher Dresser
He developed a variety of every day goods for silverware manufactures in London and Birmingham between 1865 and 1885.Read More →
-
Ember Travel Mug 2: Temperature Control on the Go
Designed to be used on the go, Ember Travel Mug² does more than keep your coffee hot. Our smart mug allows you to set an exact drinking temperature and keeps it there for up to 3 hours, so your coffee is never too hot or too cold. With several new features and a battery life…
-
Maximizing Bathroom Organization with a Large Shower Caddy Set
The FAFOOU Shower Caddy Shower Organizer offers a stylish and functional solution for bathroom storage. With its innovative design, durable construction, and versatile placement options, this black shower shelf is perfect for organizing shower essentials. The easy installation process and hassle-free maintenance make it ideal for various settings, including RV showers, small bathrooms, and apartments.…
-
Luminous Elegance: The Iconic DL8 Lucciola Table Light by Fabio Lenci (c.1972)
Discover the timeless beauty of the DL8 Lucciola table light designed by Fabio Lenci in approximately 1972. This iconic lighting fixture boasts an aluminum base and reflector, chrome-plated tubular metal stem, and captivating methacrylate disks. Standing at a maximum height of 72 cm, this masterpiece combines sleek aesthetics with functional brilliance, creating an illuminating ambiance…
-
The Timeless Elegance of the 1934 Mercedes Silver Arrow
The 1934 Mercedes Silver Arrow, a pioneering race car designed by Mercedes-Benz, captivated the automotive world with its sleek design and innovative engineering. With its aerodynamic body, powerful engine, and impressive victories on the racetrack, the Silver Arrow left an enduring influence on the industry. It stands as a symbol of automotive excellence, showcasing Mercedes-Benz’s…
-
The Olivetti Lettera 22 Typewriter – Lightweight and Compact
Olivetti’s 1950 Olivetti 22 typewriter became the standard for portable typewriters. Marcello Nizzoli’s Typewriter won the Compasso d’Oro at the 10th Triennale in Rome in 1951. Ettore Sottsass would further develop this design in the 1964 Teckne 3.Read More →
-
Parker 51 Fountain Pen – The World’s Most Wanted Pen
This sleek, aerodynamic design with its recognisable hooded nib was the result of a research programme finished in 1939, and it was promoted as “a pen from another planet” and “ten years ahead of its time.” It was released to mark the Parker Company’s 51st anniversary in the United States and quickly rose to the…
-
Chefman Single Serve Coffee Maker
Chefman Single Serve Coffee Maker espresso pod machine is an ideal gift for small kitchens, offices, or dorm rooms, offering convenience, convenience, and easy cleaning. It is cETL approved with advanced safety technology and a one-year warranty.Read More →
-
Sofa, Borge Mogensen, 1945
This sofa’s straightforward execution and regular silhouette reflect characteristics that were considered essential for advanced design at the time. Nonetheless, the turned spindles, stretchers, and exquisite details owe a lot to Borge Mogensen’s use of the lexicon of traditional furniture forms—especially American Shaker and English Windsor—in his wRead More →
-
Rolodex 500-Card Rotary Card File | (Design Classic)
There are few office equipment products more iconic than the Rolodex (the name comes from a combination of the words rolling and index). In the past, companies organised their contacts in Rolodexes. Rolodex is constructed as a cylindrical rotary card file on a tubular metal frame that contains A-Z index cards to store business contacts.Read…
-
Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future
Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future which features a close-up photo of the famous face.Read More →
-
Parola Telephone (1979) Soft and Inviting
Fausta Cavazza’s Parola Telephone was a groundbreaking design that changed the way people thought about telephones. It was made out of Santoprene, a soft substance developed by Monsanto that resists scratches and dirt. It was an instant hit with consumers and was a symbol of innovation and creativity. Cavazza patented the design in 1979 and…
-
The London Underground Map – Design Icon
The London Underground is the world’s oldest subway, most people know it colloquially as the Tube. An engineering marvel and just as almost as famous is the map. The Tube map is instantly recognisable all over the world. It is a simple and elegant diagram of the 400-kilometre subway network. It is considered by many…
-
The P40 Articulated Lounge Chair – Machine for Sitting
Osvaldo Borsani Armchair (P40) 1955, articulated chaise longue. The rubber-armed chair was a sophisticated ‘machine for sitting’ that could it was claimed, assume 486 positions.Read More →
-
Peace Poster by Luba Lukova
Peace was first published as Lukova’s visual commentary on the Op-Ed page of The New York Times, and later the artist reinterpreted it as a serigraph poster. Arguably one of Lukova’s most well known and most copied images, Peace asks a question: do we protect peace by creating endless wars? Read More →
-
Nocturne, model 1186 designed by Walter Dorwin Teague
Standing over four feet tall, this towering console of satin chrome and mirrored cobalt glass is a commanding example of the styling of items to meet the Machine Age ideal of the 1930s. The Nocturne radio, built by Walter Dorwin Teague, one of the premier industrial designers of the 1930s, is one of the most…
-
1959 Cadillac Eldorado – Temple Rather than Automobile
The 1959 Cadillac is more of a temple than an automobile, a Gothic memorial to America’s glory years. It was overly long, low, and overstyled, and it’s the 50s’ final flourish. The 59’s outlandish space-age appearance, weird fins, and lavish 390 cubic inch V8 are fascinating, but the most striking aspect of the car is…
-
Alpine Eagle XL Chrono – Design Classic 🥇
The Alpine Eagle collection of sporty-chic timepieces stretches its wings, embracing a flyback chronograph in a new 44 mm diameter case for the first time. The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono clock with the integrated bracelet is inspired by the might of the eagle and the beauty of the Alps, as is the complete series.Read More…
-
Pk22 Chair – Poul Kjaerholm’s Classic of the Design World
Poul Kjaerholm’s Pk22 lounge chair is a classic in the design world, made of spring steel legs, crossbars, and side frames attached with machine screws and covered in canvas, leather, or cane. Poul Kjaerholm was a Danish designer known for his PK22 chair, which was awarded the Grand Prize at the Milan Triennale in 1957…
-
Concorde a design classic
Concorde was developed jointly by British Airways and Air France. Concorde was the first and remained the only supersonic civilian aircraft to be put into commercial service. Read More →
-
Swatch Watch a Design Classic
Swatch has revolutionised the watch industry over the previous four decades. The Swatch became the fashion item of the 1980s thanks to its combination of Swiss technology, design, and low price. It is the first watch that has become a classic look, with a black plastic band and a basic watch face.Read More →
-
Penguin Book Covers (1946 – 1949) Designer: Jan Tschichold
Tschichold created new standards of text arrangement and style that inspired all of the British postwar graphic design, although only working for the publication for three years. Then, with the formulation of the “Penguin Composition Rules,” he was able to apply Modernist theory to the requirements of book manufacturing.Read More →
-
Longines Pilot Majetek Watch – Timeless Design
Longines Pilot Majetek is a modern update to its landmark timepiece from 1935. With a fluted bezel, and triangular indicator. READ MORERead More →
-
Million Mark Note – Design Classic
The Bauhaus was the most well-known design school of the 20th century. Herbert Bayer created notes in denominations of one million, two million, and two billion. The designs exemplify the ideology of hardline Modern Movement graphics.Read More →
-
Sydney Opera House – Design Classic
The design of the Sydney Opera House (1956-73), which he won in an international competition, was Utzon’s crowning achievement. He envisioned a solid sculptural building made of a series of giant interlocking billowing white ‘sails’ inspired by the ships of Sydney Harbour.Read More →
-
Chair No.14, 1855 by Michael Thonet
Bentwood furniture was not invented by Michael Thonet (1798-1871), but he perfected a method for mass production. In 1819, in Boppard, Germany, he opened his cabinetmaking business, and by 1840 he had invented the steam-softening technique for bending rods of hardwood into flowing yet structurally solid shapes. There are just six sections and screws in…
-
Alessi PSJS Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer (Design Classic)
Alessi PSJS Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer designed by Philippe Starck On a sunny day in the spring of 1989, PhilippeRead More →
-
Poster for Nikon (1957) by Yusaku Kamekura
Yusaku Kamekura’s poster emphasises the brilliance and clarity attained with the Nikon lens and the technical perfection of his client’s camera by using brilliant optical patterns and powerful, white letter-forms against an intensely dark background. Read More →
-
The Osterizer is a retro classic
The Osterizer from 1953 is still a popular classic blender. Even though they were originally designed for home use, they now feel like high-tech caterers’ equipment. Read More →
-
The HMV Electric Convector Heater by Christian Barman
Christian Barman’s 1934 HMV Electric Convector Heater is a classic example of Streamline Modern design. The heater’s stepped parabolic curves are both functional and beautiful. Even though it isn’t streamlined in the strictest sense, it still has the look of modern design.Read More →
-
Proust Armchair (1978) – Luxury Comes in All Forms
The Studio Alchimia in Milan was founded in 1976 and exhibited its first collection in 1979. Alessandro Mendini’s Proust armchair is one of the most unusual pieces from the Bau.Haus collection. It was made in a small number and individually painted to express the collective’s unease with mass production.Read More →
-
Netsuke – Small Mythological carvings from Japan
Netsuke: A little Japanese sculptured item of ivory, wood, or porcelain that ranges in height and width from one-half to three inches. Mythological images, flowers, animals, gods, and goddesses are among the carvings. Netsuke pieces were initially employed as toggles in the fourteenth century. A cord was slipped under and over the obi and through a…
-
Sardine Collector’s Cabinet by Michael Marriot
This humorous, simple, and elegant approach proposed a different design agenda, harkening back to Victor Papanek and the Whole Earth Catalogue in the 1960s.Read More →
-
Cylinda Line Teapot by Arne Jacobsen
The Cylinda Line featured a close design connection among all aspects and the consistency of features throughout, including logo and packaging. It was designed over three years by International Style architect Jacobsen in collaboration with its manufacturer, Stelton. Read More →
-
Design Classic – Swiss Army Knife
The Swiss Army Knife, every schoolboy’s dream, was first manufactured in the late nineteenth century. The knife is more than a simple pen knife, with its distinctive bright red body bearing the trademark white cross: it is a compact household tool kit.Read More →
-
Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen (1957)
Saarinen faced the problem of trying to treat the leg structurally and visually as part of the reinforced-plastic moulded seat shell with the help of a research team from the Knoll firm led by Donald Petit. This issue had plagued him since he and Charles Eames conducted their first experiments with moulded seat shells.Read More…
-
Bloemenwerf Side Chair (1895) designed by Henry de Velde
Bloemenwerf, Henry Van de Velde’s property outside Brussels, is the inspiration for this chair. Van de Velde planned and built the house and the interior—from the furniture to the wallpaper—resulting in a holistic design that exemplified the concept of a Gesamtkunstwerk “total work of art”. Read More →
-
Serge Chermayeff | Radio (model AC74). 1933
The Radio (model AC74) designed by Serge Chermayeff (1900 – 1966) is a beautifully designed with elegant rounded curves. Read More →
-
Fiskars – Oldest Industrial Company in Finland
Fiskars – Oldest Industrial Company in Finland. It was formed in 1649. Fiskars can be traced back to Peter Thorwéste’s ironworks. READ MORERead More →
-
Predicta the World’s First Swivel Screen TV
Advertised as the “world’s first swivel screen television,” Philco’s Predicta was the first American model to break away from the standard cabinet format of a box with a window in it—a bold step for such a corporation. However, a similar idea had already been produced in Italy by Phonola (no. 249) and in France by…
-
Mezzadro Chair – a nod to Italian Agriculture
Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni were not the first twentieth-century designers to consider the tractor seat in relation to sophisticated furniture production: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used it for the Conchoidal chairs he conceived during the early 1940s. Read More →
-
Lino Sabattani (1925 – 2016) Italian Metal Smith
Sabbatini worked as a silversmith from a very early age. He learned metalworking techniques and became interested in shapes derived from natural materials. The Boule teapot and example of his early work was designed for T. Wolff in Germany.Read More →
-
Tea Infuser and Strainer (1924) by Marianne Brandt
Brandt’s tea infuser is an essential object of the Bauhaus. Only three inches tall, its diminutive size is the result of its function. Unlike conventional teapots, it is intended to distil a concentrated extract that can produce tea with any desired strength when combined with hot water in a cup.Read More →
You may also be interested in
Arthur J. Pulos (1917- 1993) American industrial designer and educator
Arthur Pulos (1917 – 1993) was a well-known design teacher, promoter, and industrial designer. Arthur Pulos was renowned for his writings, lectures in developed and developing nations, and involvement with important organizations like the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID).
Handel Company (1885 – 1936) American Lighting Company
Adolph Eyden and Philip Handel founded the Handel Company, an American lighting company. The Handel Company was founded in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1885 and created lamps and glass designs over the years. The business was incorporated in 1903. The company created vases, tobacco jars, and tazzas in addition to lampshades.
Harvey Littleton (1922 – 2013) American glassware designer
Harvey Littleton (1922 – 2013) was an American glassware designer. He was born in Corning, New York. He was professionally active in the USA and Britain. Between 1939-42 and 1946-47, he studied at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, receiving a bachelor’s degree in design.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.