This listing is for a vintage/antique Rudolph Wurlitzer snare drum. Based on our research, it was most likely made by Leedy and/or Ludwig in the early 1900s and the nameplate appears to have been made by the Whitehead & Hoag Company. The drum seems to be a "Prussian" model, meaning the tension is provided by metal rods instead of rope. The drum has a 16" head, wooden shell, wooden hoops, eight metal lugs, a metal knee brace, and a "cat gut" snare. It has wear from age and use including damage to the top "head" and it appears to have the initials "J.M" on the bottom head. The drum weighs about four pounds. Please see the photos below to see everything that is included, and contact us with any questions before bidding. We have a low opening bid and no reserve price so don't miss your chance to win!
Approximate measurements:
From rhythmdiscoverycenter.org:
"The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company was established in 1856 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831–1941), a German immigrant whose family had manufactured and sold musical instruments for over a century before his birth. Wurlitzer’s Catalog Number 118, dated 1921, states that Wurlitzer is the 'Largest General Musical House in the World,' and as such, manufactured and sold all types of drums and percussion instruments."
From the Boston Drum Builders blog:
"Towards the end of the 19th century, American musical instrument retailers began cataloging drums described as 'Prussian' models. These were not generally instruments imported from Prussia, but rather early rod tension drums as opposed to the more traditional 'regulation' style of drums which used rope and leather tugs to tune the heads.
"Labels applied inside Prussian drum shells usually list the retailer who sold the drum, but not necessarily the maker. Identical drums exist bearing differing labels thus the true origin of many drums is ambiguous. Shared catalog artwork between advertisers leaves the matter of determining a specific manufacturer even more dubious.
"Prussian drums were sold by a vast number of music houses including John C. Church (Cincinnati), Oliver Ditson (Boston/New York), Lyon & Healy (Chicago), Thompson & Odell (Boston), J. W. Pepper (Philadelphia), Whaley & Royce (Toronto), John C. Haynes & Co. (Boston), the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company (Cincinnati), C. Bruno & Son (New York), Julius Bauer & Company (Chicago), and William Tonk & Bros (New York). Even mail order companies such Sears Roebuck & Company cataloged Prussian drums among their selection of musical instruments."