UNIQUE WURLITZER CALIOLA at The DeBence Antique Music World Musuem
collection.
This month we feature a large Caliola which was apparently was built by
the Wurlitzer Company as a special machine.
 
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Due to the expanded scale capability compared to the usual version of the Caliola, its appears to be configured to play the 65 note Wurlitzer Automatic Player Piano roll. The case configuration consists of two of the standard Caliola fronts joined together with the percussion effects on top of the case. It has the standard Wurlitzer duplex roll frame mechanism for continuous play.
Scotty Green of the DeBence Antique Music World Musuem offers the
following information about the Caliola.
 Jake DeBence bought this band organ from the Cabana Beach Amusement Park
in Washington, PA. We are told by a visitor to the museum that he used to
be in charge of rolling it out of its shed and turning it on each day
just before the park opened, and that it sat there and played
continuously until the park close at night. This Caliola is supposed to
have been produced by Wurlitzer in the late 1920s as a prototype for a
line that was never put onto production. It has six ranks of pipes.
Starting at the front there is a row of 30 trumpets. Behind them is a row
of 19 flutes. Next comes a row of 19 trombones or tubas. Then we have a
row of 42 open top pipes with adjustable covers, without freins which are
probably flutes. Behind that row are 37 open pipes without freins which
appear to be piccolos. At the very back are 37 violin pipes. That sums up
to 184 pipes.
Would you like your band organ featured here? It's easy! Just contact Dr. Bill Black for information on how to submit your photos!
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