Long thought to be lost although rumored to be still around, a very
rare original Wurlitzer Style 166 band organ has been acquired by
American Treasure Tours, Oaks, Pennsylvania, for restoration, display,
and enjoyment for all who will be captivated by this rare, magnificent
instrument.

Wurlitzer built very few Style 166 or similar style band organs
capable of using the full scale of the Style 165 music roll.  Factory
records show that only three Style 166 organs left the Wurlitzer
factory, with none known to exist -- until now!  This organ, serial
number 3200, was built for the Broadway Roller Rink in Denver,
Colorado, and left the Wurlitzer factory September, 1918.  A picture
of it at this installation can be seen in David Bowers' "Encyclopedia
of Automatic Musical Instruments", page 943, lower left corner.  The
façade is more representative of the Style 180, pictured on page 944,
upper left.

Wurlitzer records describe this organ as "Special Style 166", perhaps
because the façade was nearly identical to the larger Style 180 façade,
and the organ used mostly draw stops rather than automatic registers.
Its instrumentation was a combination of what was native to the Style
166 and other, more open limited styles of the time, such as the Style
164, suitable for installations such as skating rinks.

After a number of years in roller rink service, the organ apparently
spent some time on the carnival circuit where it lost a few small
pieces of its façade to fit in a trailer.  It was then stored in a
Montana warehouse for the last 40+ years, where the dry climate kept
its case and interior in pristine condition.

It is complete except for a few façade pieces, and is a remarkable,
original, contraption one would expect from a special, hybrid Style 166.
It is complete with a number of original Wurlitzer Style 165 band organ
rolls which are being analyzed to see if any unknown treasures are part
of the group.

The organ will be restored by master band organ technician Joe
Hilferty of York, Pennsylvania, and will make its debut at the AMICA
2016 Convention in Princeton, New Jersey.  Further, detailed information
on the organ's history, restoration, and musical provenance will appear
in The AMICA Bulletin.

Glenn Thomas
Princeton, New Jersey
wurlitzer165@comcast.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]