Los Angeles Theatres: Tower Theatre: organ chambers

A Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. plan of the chambers dated December 29, 1926 and updated February 15, 1927. Thanks to Kelsey Araghi and her group at UCLA for locating this as well as Wurlitzer plans of the blower and elevator rooms (with the same dates) and a February 16, 1927 drawing of the console and elevator platform. The research was for Anthony Caldwell's Spring 2023 Digital Reconstructions on Broadway class. The images appear courtesy of the UC Regents and Special Collections, UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library.

The organ chambers are located up high behind the grillework on either side of the sounding board in front of the proscenium. That passage between them that we see on the plan actually has a door at the center that opens for a view down to the alley below. Perhaps the door was added as a plan to offer an access preferred by the architect to the one the company noted on the plan: "Organ to be installed thru shutter openings" -- meaning before the decorative proscenium was finished.

A look along the front balcony exit house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The back stairs down to the alley. The doorway at the right gets you into the proscenium box. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Looking into the proscenium box and across to house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Decorative plaster -- inside the box! Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Toward the stage end of the box: a door into a storage room beyond. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

In the storage room behind the box -- seat standards -- and a ladder up to the house left organ chamber. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

On the ladder up to the organ chamber there's an access hole giving a view through the proscenium into the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The back of the proscenium arch. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A wide angle view of the house left organ chamber. Thanks to Mike Hume for his c.2017 photo. Visit the terrific page about the theatre on his Historic Theatre Photography site.

Through the doorway on the left we have a view of the passage above the stage that runs along the back wall leading to the house right chamber. At the bottom of the image we see a bit of the ladder leading down to the storage room below.

The back of the organ grille house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Looking down through the grille. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Through the organ grille: a look across at the area above the house right box. Above that Gothic arch you get a view of part of the house right organ grille. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Through the organ grille: the plaster figure above the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

At the mid point along the passage between the two chambers is a door out onto the alley for loading. Here we're looking north onto 8th St. with Spring St. in the distance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Another look north out the door. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Just for reference: there's the door in question -- halfway up the back wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

In the attic looking at the top of the dome above the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Looking down onto the back of a bit of decorative plaster. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A view deeper back into the attic. See the attic page for more views starting at the booth end of the space. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The house right organ chamber. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

In the passage on top of the stage looking back toward the house left chamber. At right is the alley wall. The ladder gets you up into the attic on top of the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Los Angeles Theatres

Tower Theatre: organ chambers

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