John Dennison died in 1924. One of the things that make his story interesting is that his
three daughters carried on the business after he passed away. In some cases, they
modified models previously made by their father, changing them from clock-wound
mechanical power to electricity. In other instances, they changed the scene within the
original machine to portray a different story. After several years of running the
business, the girls began producing new machines of their own creation. The Dennison
working models are highly respected and highly sought after to this day.
The working model had other manufacturers as well. One of the best known was
Fred Bolland of London. Starting out as an operator, Fred expanded his business in the
1930's to include sales of coin-operated machines. After WW II commenced, Fred ran
an arcade in Wales. When the War ended, he moved back to London and began
acquiring stock from other operators. During the war, rationing had a severe impact on
arcades . For one thing, manufacturers were unable to produce new machines due to the
severe restrictions on all metals and materials for any use other than the war effort. In a
related area, the normal toys and candy put as prizes into crane games evaporated. As a
result, cranes became useless . Operators, unable to find any product for their cranes,
sought to get rid of them. Fred had the foresight to appreciate the opportunity presented.
He went around and bought up all the Exhibit Supply cranes he could at ridiculously
low prices. Using the cases and the gearing inside the cranes, he fashioned a whole line
of working models. Most of the themes for these machines exploited the frailties of the
human condition. His more famous titles are self-explanatory: The Drunkard 's Dream ;
The Miser; The Burglar; The French Execution and so forth .
If you've been following my stories these past several years , you know that my
fascination with British machines stems in no small part from my appreciation for their
'humanity ' with the lower case ' h.' In many instances, this humanity is evidenced by
the small numbers produced of any one machine, all handcrafted by artisans in
diminutive workshops around the country. In the case of working models , I think this
humanity is well represented by the fact that Fred Bolland made do with whatever he
could find , utilizing useless American crane games by Exhibit Supply to house and
operate the majority of his early working models. If he could not find American cranes,
he was happy to adapt French crane games as well. When the supply of both American
and French cranes finally dried up, Fred was forced to manufacture his own cases. He
and his younger brother, Arthur, did so into the 1970's, building cases that looked like a
modernized version of the original I 930's Exhibit Supply casework with the addition of
a clown face at the very apex of the case.
Enter Sweeney Todd and Johnny Depp. Have you seen the latest offering from
Tim Burton, 'Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' starring Johnny Depp?
If you like musicals and/or Depp, you must see this film. Dearly Beloved loves both.
She has openly stated that she would leave me in a New York minute if Johnny Depp
ever raised his pirate eyebrow in her direction. Fortunately for me, Mr. Depp lives in
France. My Ebay friend had an original Bolland working model in a Bonzini and
Sopransi French crane case titled Hell's Kitchen. The theme of this machine is
essentially the story of Sweeney Todd. (Story spoiler; if you haven ' t seen the movie and
plan to do so, stop reading now).
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