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We all know about the Bryans Bumper, but there are many other as yet undiscovered weird, wonderful and sometimes beautiful coin-operated machines which we only know about thanks to a patent, old advertisement, faded photograph or word of mouth. If you know where any of these are, just send me a private message, and I'll move the post to Discoveries.

This French Eifel Tower wall machine must be one of the most charming. I wonder what the game consisted of?

International gold smuggling, perhaps?

PM, looks like a grip tester, I imagine the flags or banners either side light up as you progress.

That hadn't occurred to me. I was imagining some sort of top to bottom ball balancing skill game. Isn't that little paddle too dainty to withstand the rigours of a strength tester?

brigham wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:02 pm International gold smuggling, perhaps?

Oh, so you're suggesting it was made in England.

brigham wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:02 pm International gold smuggling, perhaps?

You could be right, I bet The Lavender Hill Mob are behind it.

bryans fan wrote: ↑Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:43 am

brigham wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:02 pm International gold smuggling, perhaps?

You could be right, I bet The Lavender Hill Mob are behind it.

.......... or at the very least "Alec Guinness"

There's no doubting this delightful little wall-mounted Hercules Tug of War is a grip tester, and we even know the maker and date, thanks to Nic Costa's Automatic Pleasures. It's labelled W. H. Ell & Company, London, 1905 version, which suggests there were other versions. Ell's products (gold changers, shooters and other skill games) are characteristically refined. The Territorial Shooting Range also employed curved glass.

Mr Punch, George Haydon and William Vail, 1893 (patent US495734)

Incorporating the coin entry into the curved glass top of this penny shooting archery game was surely asking for trouble, and might be why examples of this elegant-looking game don't appear to exist. A successful shot is rewarded with nothing more tangible than the return of your coin.

Looks like a gnome in a greenhouse

Copied & split from Pipe Dream - Site Admin.

My pipe dream machine would be the Holy Grail machine - the Palmer's Cycle Racer. I have seen this machine on postcards on several piers and tea gardens and hotels and other locations. I am not aware that any survive, but maybe???

Post split from Very old amusement arcade - Site Admin.

I'm still working on the collection of photos I acquired (when I have time). This one has come up well (even the instructions are clear to read) but even after reading them, I'm at a loss as to what the left-hand lever did? I assume the right lever flicked the ball and the centre wheel allowed the player to aim the ball, but the left lever?? block or clear a window? Anyone know?

It's one of the most weird and wonderful games from the Bolland's stable, and sadly none are known to have survived.
The instructions do in fact explain the three controls. It adheres to the usual format of these early coin return two player machines (like Ping Pong, Diabolo etc.):

The Latest Novelty
IN FOOTBALL.
THE WINDOW BREAKER
DIRECTIONS
Place Penny in Slot. Turn Centre Knob to left to bring ball
into play. Then endeavour to shoot ball into either window
when figures will appear & coin will be returned.
When ball goes over the fence, money is lost.

So the centre knob just gives you the ball and the right and left levers fire it towards the right and left targets (window apertures).

I didn't realize it was a two-player machine, I thought the windows were at one end only

Automatic Obstacle Race

Looks like a combination of "Within the Maze" and "Trickler," Mr. PM.

J Peterson

It has something in common with Bryans Double Top - the slightly unusual concept of two players racing to complete a challenge on separate, identical playfields.

Bollands The Battle

Snakes & Ladders

First Pop

Mono Rail Skittle Alley, New Polyphon Supply Co., c1910 (image courtesy Sweetmeats)