Historic Wurlitzer organ goes under the hammer

The instrument is expected to sell for up to £7,000

A rare Wurlizter pipe organ is to be auctioned after its owner decided to sell it from his purpose-built home cinema.

The Mighty Wurlitzer was delivered from America to a newly-built Granada Cinema in London in 1936 and remained there until 1975.

It was saved from deterioration by its current owner, who brought it to a 20-seat theatre they created in their bungalow in Cannock, Staffordshire.

But it is now to be sold at The Lichfield Auction Centre next month with a guide price of between £5,000 and £7,000.

Musicians travelled to Cannock to play the organ

The instrument is thought to be one of about 20 operational theatre Wurlitzers in the UK and has eight ranks of pipes, plus xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone and percussion effects such as bass drum, snare drum and cymbals.

“Sadly due to my age I now have to sell the instrument as I am unable to squeeze into the tight corners of the pipe chamber to maintain it,” said the owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous.

After being installed in 2000, many of the UK’s well-known organists have travelled to Cannock to play the instrument.

These include Phil Kelsall, resident organist at Blackpool Tower; Nicholas Martin BEM; the late Dr Arnold Loxam, who gave BBC organ concerts from the 1940s to the 1960s; and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Jean Martyn.

The organ is being auctioned by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 21 May.