First Jukebox

November 24, 2008

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Profile America — Monday, November 24th. One of the enduring symbols of American popular entertainment — the jukebox — was unveiled in San Francisco this week in 1889. Early machines that played music for coins worked much like music boxes. The classic jukebox came along in 1946 from the Wurlitzer Company. It was an art deco delight of neon and moving lights, playing 78 RPM records by artists such as Tommy Dorsey and Hank Williams, for a nickel. (Surviving examples are highly prized by collectors.) While there are modern jukeboxes in some eating and drinking places, most people now prefer to buy their own music, either on CDs or to play on their iPods — to the tune of just over $11.5 billion annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Famous First Facts, 7007
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1111
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html