February 3, 1936. He was 72. The four were Henry
Edward Brunhoff, Sophia Swenhott, Fridella
Wydman, and Adele Brunhoff. All four of these peo-
ple are dead today with no Brunhoffs' living in
Cincinnati today. It was through the Wydman name
that I was able to track down Edward Brunhoff's
granddaughter, Mrs. Betty Hover of California.
Henry Edward was Betty's father.
the number on its side next to the pointer indicated
the payoff in cigars. Only one is known to exist.
In 1902, he returned to Cincinnati,
continuing to make metal special-
ties for advertising purposes such
as match stands, cigar cutters, cigar
lighters, and dicers (photo 5). He
also made electric devices and nov-
'---'-----~ elties in wood and glass for adver-
tising. His biggest customers being liquor and tobac-
co businesses.
,.------=:----,
According to Betty, after Edward's death his son
Henry continued to run the business but was not the
inventor his father was. Betty remembered a compa-
ny in Atlanta her dad wanted to buy, but didn't have
the money. Brunhoff had been selling them advertis-
ing pieces for years, so he tried to get his father
Edward to buy it, but he wouldn't listen. It was Coca
Cola.
Sometime in the next few years,
he made the "DAISY" (photo 6),
a cast iron machine which award-
ed the player either one or two
cigars depending on which space
his nickel landed. This machine is
very similar to the "PROGRES-
SIVE DAISY" on page 49 of Dick Bueschel's Trade
Stimulator book #1. Again this machine seems to be
very scarce and probably the last he made.
She recalled that her father's company made refrig-
erator doors during the 1930's along with different
types of small showcases and cabinets. Due to ill
health, her father retired in 1948 and moved to
Florida. Her brother Henry Edward Jr. continued to
run the business, but had trouble getting along with
his partner Clarence Karst, who bought into the busi-
ness into the late 1950's. The business was then sold
to Rapid American which consolidated the business
with another fixture company in Ohio. Dave Evans
of Gold Metal Products then bought the empty build-
ing to put his concession equipment company in.
Dave was an avid slot collector and pioneered new
reel strips for slots. Henry passed away in 1963 and
a few years later his son, Henry Edward Jr. also died
leaving no Brunhoffs.
Brunhoff made enough
money from his special-
ties, that he built a new
building in 1920 on
Freeman Avenue and
Ninth Street (photo 7).
Besides
the
main
Cincinnati plant, branch offices were maintained in
Chicago for distributing.
Edward Brunhoff had some 22 patents to his name,
one which was the extractor of the M-1903
Springfield rifle. He also invented the glass pull out
doors on bookcases which he later sold to Globe
Wameck also of Cincinnati. One of his best money
makers and one that kept him going during the
depression was the TARGET TIER CIGARETTE
ROLLER. Brunhoff made thousands of them.
I think the story explains why Brunhoff machines are
so rare. Brunhoff was largely a manufacturer of
advertising specialties and showcases for the cigar,
liquor and beverage industry. The machines were
only a small part of the line and after the tum of the
century companies like Mills and Caille were too
large to compete with. It was a time of specialization.
Maybe you can tum up a Brunhoff machine in some
old barn! Happy hunting!
Edward Brunhoff had seven children, but only four
were living at the time of his death, which was
7