Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Show us what you found. Make us jealous!
Post Reply
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by arrgee »

Saw this Merchantman recently, made by the Exhibit Supply Co. of Chicago, label states 1936.

Lovely piece of slot machinery and in full working order.
Attachments
Merchantmancrane2.jpg
Merchantmancrane.jpg
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

Hi
It's NOT a Merchantman but a more rare crane made at the same time called IMPERIAL. Though not easily seen in the photos, the name is on the cast emblem on the front near the bottom.
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by brigham »

No Ship?
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

The Imperial has the front of the ship but not the casting of the ships bridge behind it.
paul
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:02 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by paul »

Hi all,
The pictures below are from my collection - the IMPERIAL is a stunning art-Deco machine.
Attachments
DSCF1635a.jpg
DSCF1634a.jpg
User avatar
ddstoys
Posts: 372
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 4:48 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by ddstoys »

Exhibit sure made some stunning machines.
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by arrgee »

Strewth, that's taken almost 12 years for a response :o
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

paul wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:40 am Hi all,
The pictures below are from my collection - the IMPERIAL is a stunning art-Deco machine.
If you look carefully at Paul's machine, you will notice there are two signs on the left and right of the ships bow. They are, on the left, all the patents for the machine and on the right instructions. They are toward the back where the Bridge casting on the Merchantman would be mounted.

If anyone reading this knows of someone with an Exhibit Supply lattice boom please PM me. I need one for my machine.

I am also looking for the Exhibit Supply brochure / catalog for this machine

exhibit-supply-illustrated-catalog-digger_1_32357ae86f4b928d521ea81fa0b4cee1.jpg
exhibit-supply-illustrated-catalog-digger_1_32357ae86f4b928d521ea81fa0b4cee1.jpg (21.42 KiB) Viewed 7139 times

Here are those signs
73743376_10_x.jpg

Attachments
73743376_11_x.jpg
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by brigham »

Does the Imperial pre-date the Merchantman?
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by pennymachines »

Yes, apparently - arcade-museum.com has it as 1931 and the Merchantman was introduced in 1935. Exhibit Supply produced a great range of cranes in various cabinet designs, starting with the Iron Claw of 1926. My Imperial also has a broken lattice boom - seems to have been a weakness.
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by gameswat »

pennymachines wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:08 pm Yes, apparently - arcade-museum.com has it as 1931 and the Merchantman was introduced in 1935
I think you got that backwards PM. Merchantman from around 1932 and the Imperial much later.
User avatar
bob
Posts: 185
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:06 pm
Reaction score: 2
Location: Australia

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by bob »

A newly designed Novelty Merchantman was introduced by Exhibit Supply Company in 1935 as this advert of theirs in The Coin Machine Journal of July 1935 illustration etc stating it to be newly designed clearly shows. Somewhere I've got the design patent as well, but this ad came to hand first when I was looking for it. There was an earlier Exhibit Supply Novelty Merchantman which is the one that Gameswat is currently finishing restoring. An Exhibit Supply Company advert for this earlier Novelty Merchantman in Gameswat's posting is illustrated immediately below followed by the later design underneath.
Attachments
exhibitsupply3.jpg
Novelty Merchantman ad045.jpg
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by pennymachines »

Thanks Bob. It's good to start piecing together the chronology of these. The Bumper Book of Vintage Diggers has yet to be written...
gameswat wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:36 pm I think you got that backwards PM. Merchantman from around 1932 and the Imperial much later.
I had thought the Imperial was later, but was prepared to believe arcade-museum.com, being an American site, knew better. That's also where I got the 1935 Merchantman date. I know from previous research their dating is not always reliable, so I searched Dick Bueschel's books but found nothing on the Imperial. I'm sure one of our sleuths can find something to date it. Is 1936, as shown on the label of the machine arrgee posted, correct?
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

The NEW Exhibit Supply Digger was introduced in 1936.
catalogpage1.jpg

That is the 1936 Exhibit Supply catalog. Best photo I have. (from an old auction)
There is the New Imperial on the cover.

I'm looking for this, if someone has one they will part with.
Attachments
exhibit-supply-illustrated-catalog-digger_1_32357ae86f4b928d521ea81fa0b4cee1.jpg
exhibit-supply-illustrated-catalog-digger_1_32357ae86f4b928d521ea81fa0b4cee1.jpg (21.42 KiB) Viewed 6636 times
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

Here is more information, this article published in Jan. 1937 mentions the Imperial.
Attachments
AA-47.jpg
automaticage2a.jpg
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by arrgee »

sjt, I have sent you a pm regarding some info on the Digger photo shown in my post of 2007
sjt1803
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:54 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by sjt1803 »

With the help of some new friends on this site such as Rory (gameswat) and others
the restoration project of my Exhibit Supply Imperial is done.

There are still a few things, I could use to make it 100%
Like a better Crane boom, coin box, and the original cast feet.

I think you'll agree it's a piece of art.

IMG_8305s.jpg

To see the process go here: www.arcadetreasure.com/projects/imperial/imperial.htm
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by gameswat »

Great to see it all back together. And amazing you had to search the world to restore such a classic American machine.
User avatar
moonriver
Posts: 930
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:56 am
Reaction score: 3

Re: Exhibit Supply Co. Imperial Crane

Post by moonriver »

brigham wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 12:47 pmNo Ship?
better with !
:D
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests