Wooden Flute Pipe Caliola in Red Crackle Lacquer Finish

Wurlitzer Caliola with wooden flute pipes.

(Sanfilippo Collection, photograph courtesy of Fred Dahlinger.)

Wurlitzer Caliola #4203 with wooden flute pipes and with a red crackle lacquer finish with carvings in gold, and hand painted picture on panel and screens. According to the Wurlitzer Band Organ Ledger this particular Caliola was shipped from the factory to Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 23, 1929.

Keyboard in the Wurlitzer Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Fred Dahlinger.)

The keyboard in the Caliola, with the upper back panel (with attached keyboard cover) slid upward to reveal the keyboard and the roll mechanism.

Wooden flute pipes in the Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz.)

The forty-four wooden flute pipes in the Caliola. Arranged in a symmetrical pattern, the rugged flute pipes represent the Wurlitzerized tones of an air calliope.

Flute pipe detail in the Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz.)

Detail view of the front-most wooden flute pipes. Note the metal tuning slides located on the backside of the smaller front row of pipes, and the wooden tuning slides on the larger pipes.

10-tune roll frame in the Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz.)

The standard (10-tune) Long Tune Roll Frame in the Caliola. The rewind trip cam is on the roll frame's drive shaft at picture right. Notice that the keyboard is fastened directly to the bottom side of the roll frame shelf.

Tempo speed control in the Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz.)

At picture right is the friction driven tempo speed control. The powered friction wheel is not visible and is hidden behind the large metal friction disk. The vertical position of the friction wheel, and in turn the music roll tempo, is adjusted by a little hand crank on the outside of the case. Between the tempo control and the roll frame is the rewind trip assembly, consisting of a small pneumatic that pushes a notched lever into the path of a pin projecting out from the circular casting on the drive shaft.

Pressure bellows with reservoir in the Caliola.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz.)

Pressure feeder bellows in the Caliola. The bellows consist of two separate sides glued together and topped off by a large pressure reservoir. The amount of wind-pressure developed is determined by the pressure exerted by leaf springs. The Caliola offers a means by which to increase the pressure when especially loud music is desired. A handle on the outside of the case (at picture left) with a latch to hold it up and in the low pressure position, is connected to a long board that can be lowered onto the top surface of the reservoir that increases the spring pressure, which, in turn, raises the wind-pressure so that the pipes speak louder. Above the feeder bellows is the pipe chest, with the serial number 4203 stenciled on its back side. Above it is a Jameson chest with several rows of wooden unit valves screwed to the chest's channel board.

Go-Back