Unknown - Wurlitzer Piano Style Organ Console ("Wurlitzer Unit Organs" Catalog (ca. 1926); image courtesy of Eric Schmiedeberg/Database Manager)
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2007-11-10 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- Style 135A. Relocated later in 1919 to an undisclosed location in San Francisco. Disposition unknown. The Judd Walton Wurlitzer list shows the destination of this organ as the Guthrie Theatre. The Grand was owned by George B. Guthrie. It is possible that there was a previous or second Grand (Guthrie) Theatre since the theatre is also listed for a 2/4 Robert Morton. -Database Manager
2015-10-13 - Updated through online information from Eric Schmiedeberg. -- This instrument utilized a "Piano Style" console with a 32-note pedalboard, a 61-note organ manual, and a Piano keyboard below it that could be muted for use as an organ manual--or unmuted for both Piano and organ, if so desired.<br><br>The instrument also featured a "Marimbaphone" (Marimba/Harp in Wurlitzer parlance) in the house-right organ chamber as a special percussion stop not normally found on a Style 135. The rest of the organ was located in the house-left chamber.<br><br> Wurlitzer Demonstration Artist Raymond Ballard of San Francisco debuted the instrument in March of 1919. It would be supplanted by Wurlitzer Opus 241--what amounted to a 3/12 Style 185-X Special--in October of that year.<br><br>It is fair to surmise that Opus 203 was a "warm-up/preview of coming attractions" instrument heralding 241's arrival. George Guthrie owned the Oregon from 1915-1929, which explains the "Guthrie Theatre" entry in the Wurlitzer records. He did own the Grand Theatre in Salem at one point, however this was not until late in 1923. Newspaper accounts are quite clear about where Opus 203 was installed--the Oregon Theatre. -Database Manager
2015-10-13 - Updated through online information from Eric Schmiedeberg. -- Newspaper accounts and Wurlitzer records name this 135 Special as having debuted at the Oregon in March of 1919. It replaced the original Austin of 2 manuals and 14 registers that had been in service since January of 1913.<br><br>This Wurlitzer was first played by Wurlitzer Demonstration Artist Raymond Ballard of San Francisco. The organ was unusual in that it featured a "Marimbaphone" (an early description used by Wurlitzer for their Marimba/Harp) in the house-right chamber and the rest of the instrument was housed in the house-left chamber. The organ could be considered a "warm-up/preview of coming attractions" installation for the 3/12 Wurlitzer that would replace it in October of 1919.<br><br> The 135 was sent back to the Wurlitzer store in San Francisco in that month. The Marimba/Harp may have stayed in Salem to be incorporated into the 3/12 as it did feature one in its specification. -- The Piano/bottom manual was 88 and 61 notes respectively. The Piano keyboard could be muted so as to make its keys operate the organ's resources only on a standard 61-note compass.j Should only the Piano be desired on the bottom keyboard one would cancel all of the stopkeys and unmute the Piano. -Database Manager
2015-11-07 - Updated through online information from Eric Schmiedeberg. -Database Manager
2015-11-07 - Updated through online information from Eric Schmiedeberg. -- Timeline for this installation is March 1919 to October 1919. -Database Manager
2015-12-13 - Updated through online information from Eric Schmiedeberg. <br>Just for the record, there was (and is) only one Grand Theatre in Salem. Also, newspaper microfilm research suggests that the Grand's 2/4 Morton was a transplant from the (Ye) Liberty Theatre executed by Liberty and Grand operator George Guthrie in 1924. This is when when he installed and debuted a new Smith organ at the Liberty.<br><br>This would have been relatively easy to do given the rear doors of the stage houses of the Grand and Liberty were literally a stone's throw from each other. It is quite possible that new blowers shipped from the Robert Morton Company were designated with entries that looked just like new organ shipments, but were not. The Grand 2/4 entry in the Morton records was most likely in reference to a new blower shipped for the reinstallation at the Grand. -Database Manager
2018-07-10 - Information from <i>The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History</i> by David L. Junchen (comp. & ed. Jeff Weiler). The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.<br> Wurlitzer Style 135 Sp - with Marimba; later repossessed<br> Factory date: January 25, 1919<br> -Database Manager
Factory Specifications w/Probables Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Salem, OR
Oregon Theatre--Organ #2
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company Opus 203, 1919--Unit Orchestra Style 135--Special
PEDAL ACCOMPANIMENT
16' Bourdon 8' Trumpet
8' Cello (from Salicional) 8' Salicional
8' Flute 8' Flute
4' Salicet
4' Flute
PEDAL SECOND TOUCHES Piano (w/ Mandolin attachment n's 25-88)
Mandolin
Bass Drum Marimbaphone (probable)*
Kettle Drum (from Bass Drum) Harp (probable)
Cymbal Snare Drum
Tambourine
Castanets
Chinese Block
SOLO TOE PISTONS
16' Bourdon Sleigh Bells
8' Trumpet--61 pipes Horse Hooves
8' Salicional--73 pipes Bird
8' Flute--85 pipes Auto Horn
8' Vox Humana--61 pipes Fire Gong (reiterating)
4' Salicet Siren
4' Flute Triangle
Marimbaphone (reiterating Harp) (probable)--49 notes Surf
Harp (probable) Train Whistle
Cathedral Chimes--18 notes Fire Gong
Xylophone--30 notes Steamboat Whistle
Glockenspiel--30 notes Tom Tom (from Snare Drum)
TREMULANTS ACCOMP. RIGHT KEY CHEEK
Main Push Button--Door Bell
Vox
**Knowing that the organ contained a Marimbaphone--acccording to factory records and newspaper accounts--it is reasonable to believe that Wurlitzer would have placed these probable stopkeys in these positions. A Marimba/Harp is extremely useful for both accompaniment and solo purposes; especially in a small instrument of limited resources like 203. The Marimba(phone)/Harp was a real attention-grabber according to opening night accounts. "Marimbaphone" is early (pre-1921) Wurlitzer stop nomenclature. Salem, OR
Oregon Theatre--Organ #3
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Opus 241, 1919--Unit Orchestra Style 185--Special
PEDAL ACCOMPANIMENT SOLO
16' Ophicleide 16' Contra Viol TC 16' Ophicleide
16' Bass 8' Tuba Horn 16' Contra Viol TC
16' Bourdon 8' Open Diapason 8' Tuba Horn--SOLO
8' Tuba Horn 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Open Diapason
8' Open Diapason 8' Clarinet 8' Tibia Clausa--SOLO
8' Tibia Clausa 8' Viol d' Orchestre 8' Clarinet
8' Clarinet 8' Viol Celeste 8' Viol d' Orchestre
8' Cello (Viol d' Orchestre & Celeste) 8' Kinura 8' Viol Celeste
8' Flute 8' Flute 8' Kinura--SOLO
4' Octave (from Diapason) 8' Vox Humana 8' Flute
Bass Drum (2nd Touch) 4' Viol 8' Vox Humana
Kettle Drum (" ") 4' Octave Celeste 4' Clarion (from Tuba)
Cymbal (" ") 4' Flute 4' Octave (from Diapason)
Crash Cymbal 4' Vox Humana 4' Viol
Echo to Pedal 2-2/3' Twelfth (from Flute) 4' Octave Celeste
2' Piccolo (from Flute) 4' Flute
Chrysoglott 2-2/3' Twelfth (from Flute)
Snare Drum 2' Fifteenth (from Viol)
--All percussions save the Chrysoglott--SOLO Tambourine 2' Piccolo (from Flute)
Castanets 1-3/5' Tierce (from Flute)
Chinese Block Cathedral Chimes
Tom Tom (special full-sized) Sleigh Bells (tuned)
Echo to Accompaniment Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Chrysoglott
Echo to Solo
ECHO ACCOMP. 2ND TOUCHES
8' Gamba* 8' Tuba Horn
8' Flute 8' Clarinet SOLO 2ND TOUCHES
8' Vox Humana Sleigh Bells (tuned)
4' Gambette Xylophone 16' Ophicleide
4' Flute Triangle 8' Clarinet
Harp
Cathedral Chimes
TREMULANTS
Main (controlled 6 ranks in Main Chamber, Tibia and Kinura in Solo and Gamba and Flute in Echo)
Vox (controlled Main and Echo Voxes) --Tuba not tremmed--
SWING-OUT DRAWER--Under keybed--left side--probables given a 185 specification
Bird
Auto Horn
Horse Hooves
Steamboat Whistle
Fire Gong (reiterating)
Chinese Gong (would make its way to Opus 1257 after 241's Solo and Echo were dismantled for 1257 parts).
TOE PISTONS COMBINATION ACTION
Pedal Combinations 1-3 Pedal 1-3
Fire Gong (reiterating)--probable Accompaniment--10 pistons--PP-P-MF-F-FF/1-5
Auto Horn--probable Solo--10 pistons--P-MF-F-FF-FFF/1-5
Bird--probable Echo--None
SWELL PEDALS--Likely order--left to right PIANO PEDALS--left to right
Main 1st Touch--Snare Roll/2nd---Bass Drum and Cymbal
Solo 1st Touch--Sfortzando--All ranks/2nd Add all tuned perc's
Echo
*Most likely Opus 1257's eventual Gamba, having made its way from Opus 241's Echo. Gambas are very unusual on 13-rank 235 Special Wurlitzers like 1257.
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