Mechanical Memories Magazine

Issue: 2013-September - Issue 78

There is a World's Fair jigsaw pin table that I enjoyed playing and a lovely OJjver
Whales Victory Ball which I also spent some time on; it is fascinating how the ball
randomly bounces from one gallery to the other and back up again.
There are quite a number of macrunes to suit a cross section of ages from a
couple of kiddy rides and animated puppet shows, to wall machines and large floor
standing machines. Amongst the wall machines is an Oracle fortune teller, a Com
Exchange and a few vending macrunes. There are quite a number of allwins: Saxony,
Pilwin, BMCo, O.W. KitKat, and an old Cresset. Bryans is well represented with the
old favourite Payrarrnd (1930s version), a Clock, All Sport, Double Decker pusher,
Hidden Treasure, Bullion and the three Magic Machines. A few bandits are present;
Mills and Sega and also a Callie sat next to a Bradshaw' s Little Stockbroker, renamed
Cricketers, which in turn is next to a well aged Poinsettia.
Among the floor standing macrunes there are a number of cranes including a fine
Novelty Merchantman, majestically commanding its own space, standing upright with
aloof dignity next to The Drunkards Dream. There are a number of other working
models: Spiritualjsts Room, The Haunted Churchyard, The Prisoners at Work and I
trunk I noticed the American Execution. Other items include a 2 player Monkey
Climber, a Peerless Viewer, 2 player Grand National, a Madam Zasha fortune teller, 2
player hockey table and a couple of grip testers. Ahrens is also well represented with a
Palmist, a Piledriver and a 2 player Football game.
Callie roulette, Little Stockbroker (Cricketers) and Poinsettia bandit.
Page 10
There are a couple of Steer a Ball machjnes, which is one of my favourite games, a 6
player merchandiser (Waltoruan?) a few shooters and towards the end of the arcade
there is a lovely line of 7 Mutoscope machjnes. The arcade comes to an end whereby
on exit, you can shake the well-worn hand of Merlin the Magician, who will 'tell you
the strength of your personality'. I noticed a number of small children cowering
against their parents upon seeing this character! He conjured up thoughts in my mjnd
of a precursor to Dr Who's Davros, cast in metal!
It was interesting to actually examjne some of the machines that I have only ever
seen by way of a photograph or the internet; the reality is sometimes quite unexpected.
The size of some machines, which is not always easily estimated from a photo, is
surprising. The Cricketers (Little Stockbroker) is huge - nothing little about that, it
must weigh a ton! But the World' s Fair Jigsaw pintable is quite small. It is an
extremely pleasurable experience to casually walk around lookjng at, and playing, all
these vintage vestiges of former times.
lllU
THI
BUTLER
D!D\1
SU
A line of no less than seven Mutoscopes!
Page 11

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Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

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