Heritage Centre Wurlitzer
The Wurlitzer Organ (Opus 1664) started life in the Trocadero Cinema in Liverpool, which opened in 1922 with seating for over 1,300 patrons. In 1950 it was incorporated into the Rank Circuit and was renamed Gaumont.
The organ (Style DA two manual six rank) was not installed into the cinema until 1927, having been shipped from the factory in June of that year, and was subsequently moved just ten years later to the new Gaumont Cinema in Princes Park Liverpool. The building could accommodate 1,500 patrons and the organ console was centrally placed at stalls level within a small pit area. Later in its life during Rank bingo days, it was moved to the right hand side of the auditorium, directly below the organ chamber. When bingo operation ceased in 1998, the instrument was first moved to Raymond Wallbank’s shop in St Anne’s, before moving once again to the Theatre Organ Heritage Centre in Eccles.