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This is the part of the website for collectors of the earliest
pinball machines - the bagatelle machines.
Bagatelle machines had evolved from billiard tables by
sometime in the 19th century. At first, bagatelle tables were
half as wide as billiard tables, had a series of holes for
scoring targets at one end, and were played with balls and
a cue stick from the other end. Later, nails were added
around the holes to make scoring more difficult, and a spring loaded plunger replaced the cue stick. In the 1920's, legs,
mechanical parts, coin acceptors and a glass top were
added, and pinball as we know it today was born. Other
machines that evolved from bagatelle machines were Allwins
(English upright games) and Pachinko games (Japanese wall
mounted pinball machines).
This machine is a Lindstrom 'Gold Star' from 1934. It uses
the plunger at the lower right of the picture to shoot colored marbles into the horseshoe shaped scoring pockets in the playfield. Any marble shot into the horseshoe at the top of the playfield doubles the score of the entire game.
sometime in the 19th century. At first, bagatelle tables were
half as wide as billiard tables, had a series of holes for
scoring targets at one end, and were played with balls and
a cue stick from the other end. Later, nails were added
around the holes to make scoring more difficult, and a spring loaded plunger replaced the cue stick. In the 1920's, legs,
mechanical parts, coin acceptors and a glass top were
added, and pinball as we know it today was born. Other
machines that evolved from bagatelle machines were Allwins
(English upright games) and Pachinko games (Japanese wall
mounted pinball machines).
This machine is a Lindstrom 'Gold Star' from 1934. It uses
the plunger at the lower right of the picture to shoot colored marbles into the horseshoe shaped scoring pockets in the playfield. Any marble shot into the horseshoe at the top of the playfield doubles the score of the entire game.
Photo credit
Ken L. 2005 - all rights reserved