Seeburg Wall-o-matic used in Canmore up into the 1980s. Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre
As part of its Deep Research project the Canmore Museum is trying to solve mysteries surrounding a number of items in its collections, such as this Seeburg Wall-o-matic jukebox, where the information attached to it has gone missing. The Wall-o-matic is a remote selector that would have hung on the wall in a Canmore bar, restaurant, café or pool hall. But the question is, which one? Murray’s Pool Hall on Seventh Avenue comes to mind, but as I only got in there once and promptly got kicked out – I might have been 12 at the time – I can’t say I remember anything about the interior, let alone if the tables had these units. I’m not even sure if Murray’s had tables for that matter.
This Wall-0-matic, which is in excellent condition and still has quarters in it (two plays for a quarter), appears to have been in use up into the mid-1980s. The menus include Bonnie Tyler, Culture Club, the Pointer Sisters, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty and Roy Orbison, along with a duet with Eddie Rabbit and Juice Newton from Rabbit’s 1986 album Rabbit Trax.
Does anyone recognize this unit and know which establishment in Canmore it might have been used at? Guesses are good too, as so far, that’s all anybody has.
Thanks much.
Canmore History 
I believe that it was at the Canmore Hotel Cafe….and my sister thinks the same too.
A guess: One of the last places in Canmore was probably the old hotel restaurant. The juke boxes were there into the early 80’s I believe and would have had tunes by Culture Club on it.
Thanks Sheryl and Manny! I didn’t even think consider the Canmore Hotel cafe. That makes sense.
Rob, I remember these units in the Canmore Hotel Cafe very clearly. Fed them more than a few quarters.
Thanks Rose!
My mom used to run the old Canmore Hotel Restaurant and yes they were in there at the tables.
I remember them being there in the late 70’s early 80’s
Hi, we had these in our Chinese Canadian restaurant in Nelson, BC in the West Kootenays 🙂
Thanks Allen. They’re beautiful little units and I’m guessing probably quite common throughout the restaurants and cafes of the West, given that you know them from Nelson. Very cool.