Item: VTG Shyvers Multiphone Juke-Box,’RARE”Coin Op machine,Americana,Display,Vending. Rare-Empire State Building Juke Box,Art Deco,Speak-2-It
Sold For: $2,627.88
Bids: 31
Date: Feb 28, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Seller: adalina82
Feedback: 100% (585)
Description and Image By: adalina82
The Multiphone was invented in the late 1930s by a man who also invented pinball machines Ken Shyvers. His company flourished in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton(Washington State) area during the 1940s and 1950s. He started a large manufacturing plant in Chicago and made all of the system components. At the height of popularity, there were 8,000 Multiphones installed in restaurants, drive-ins,and bars. Each restaurant booth would have a Multiphone unit on the table,and counters had units spaced along them. The customers placed a dime in the chrome “multiphone” and ordered their song over the telephone which was built into the unit. An female operator then played the record on a turntable in the Central Music studio which could be heard over the loudspeaker at the bottom of the wallbox.
The design of the Multiphone may have been influenced by the Empire State Building.
This one seems to be complete.It even has The Original lock and key. The unit is in good shape for its age it has some tarnish on it that will rub off. I just do not want to mess with this item. The unit has a serial number on top and one on the inside.