Matthewson (Automatic Sports Co.) games

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john t peterson
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by john t peterson »

Bully good information, Bob! Love those photos too. !!CHEERS!!

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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by sweetmeats »

Seeing the picture posted by Bryans fan has prompted me to post this article which I had meant to do some time ago. I have been collecting information about these wonderful shooters for nearly twenty years but had never seen any image of a "castle" on site until now. Firstly I will reproduce an article I believe came from a book on Crystal Palace. I only have the article cut out from the publication and cannot remember exactly how I came by it! It reads as follows.
Eric Spottiswoode wrote: I became very interested in mechanical things when I was about seven or eight years of age. My step-grandfather, Ernest Matthewson, took me under his wing and I learned a good deal about the cast-iron machinery that he made. He was a mechanical engineer and designed quite a lot of equipment, including the automatic slot-machines which were installed at the Crystal Palace in the nineteen twenties (and also some were installed at the Palace Pier Brighton).

These machines were quite formidable things, really - they were about eight-foot high, I suppose, and it took a couple of men and a trolley to move them. They were beautifully designed, with cast-iron and brass.

One was a machine called "The Big Game". It had like a revolver which you aimed through this glass partition, and inside there were elephants, tigers and lions and small animals in the trees. If you shot all these down you got your money back.

pic-1a.jpg

I also found I had this picture, possibly also taken on Palace pier Brighton.

My understanding was that Mermaids were converted "on site" by Matthewson to become either Artillery Duels or Marksmen or Big Game Hunters. The patent of 1912 seems an appropriate date as the soldiers used were Brittains English and French. If made much later, I would have imagined German soldiers might have been used, as on the Marksman. Moving on to after the war to 1946, the following hand written accounts I have copies of are reproduced here. I don't know who wrote these, but assume he was interviewing a member of the Bollands' family. There seem to be two separate accounts as follows.

account 1:-
I can tell you all about those iron shooting machines you have. I sold the last two to Mr ? cannot remember his name, Rotunda Amusements, Folkestone in about 1949. These (about 20 altogether) were made in 1914, by Matthewson. He made 3 different shooting machines. These iron cases were not made for Matthewson but for a different purpose. But Matthewson came along and saw the possibility and purchased these heavy iron cases.

(1) Three or four shooters were of birds and animals on trees. You had 5 shots and you had to shoot the animals and birds down for your own coin return if successful.
(2) German soldiers in various positions and you had to shoot these down. 5 shots, 5 German soldier targets. Own coin return if successful.
(3) This machine was for two players. Two pennies in slot 1 returned two guns and you had to shoot down soldiers on either side.

When we purchased this lot of machines they had been in store in a railway arch for years. Matthewson had died years before and left these machines to his (Son or Nephew?) who operated them in various sites and when the sites or machine went out of order they did not have any mechanics, so they collected and stored them. They did not pay any rent. Years later, someone told me about automatic machines stored in a railway arch in Camberwell. I saw them and traced the owner and bought the lot. Had to have a lot of special gunmetal soldiers made, spare parts and curved glass but we sold the whole lot before we started on them. Wonderful money takers.

Shooting Big Game
Shooting Big Game


pic-3a.jpg

Account 2:-
I know all about Matthewson iron shooting machines. I purchased in 1946 the last remains of Matthewsons' machines. I can tell you all about the iron shooting machines. You told me that you purchased two iron shooters from Harrisons of Rotunda Folkestone. Well I am enclosing photos of the very two machines I had rebuilt like new. These were the last two I had. I had about 18 of these. They had been in a store in an old railway arch near Kennington for 28 years and when Mathhewson died, in about 1920, the assets of his estate was left to his Nephew who was not interested in the business.

The machines were in a terrible state. The figures all broken up and the glasses all smashed (children had broken in and smashed them to steal the soldiers). I got to know and, although I did not have the old factory, Gordon Grove and I had them taken to the back of my house in Peckham. I had all new soldiers cast in gunmetal and we made all new striking plates and striking rods for inside the machines. We made all new parts where needed and went to the glass works at Bow East London. Made templates and had all new bent plate glasses made. New instruction plates and had an artist come round and paint all new figures and scenery. We made a top job of these machines. They were all sold before we started work on them for ÂŁ80 each.

There were three different shooting machines. I had about six Artillery Duel two players, six Shooting Big Games, six Shooting German soldiers - this was the best type. Date. I got my old invoice books out and traced where I sold these machines. Triss Sharp (Speedway Riders Motorcycles). He had two amusement arcades and was so pleased with the money earned that he bought about eight of these machines. This was 1948. Spider Harvey bought all the others, except for the two that I sold to Harrison of Folkestone.


There is no indication of how many mermaids and castles made up the eighteen. Further article "where are they now" to follow.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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Super job, Sweetmeats. Thanks! !!THUMBSX2!!

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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by bryans fan »

A very big thanks to Sweetmeats for sharing this story with us. It is vital that this sort of information is put down on paper so there is a permanent record of the history of these great games. We are all getting older! Once things begin to fall from living memory they are lost. There is so little written information remaining these are nuggets of pure gold. Well done for writing such an interesting account **xXx** !
Keep them coming!
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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Well done indeed :D
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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Where are they now?

We know from my earlier article that there were 18 shooters found in the 1940s and restored by Bolland. The two sold in auction by Showtime and Morphy were both originally found in Canada by an American dealer (I believe in a café). They were sold to a well known collector for a low price as their value was not realised. This was about 7 or 8 years ago. The Morphy two player machine was then sold privately for a rumoured $250,000 before the Showtime auction. I assume these have remained in America, but do not know for sure. Next there were two machines owned by Jasper and were in his study at his mansion near Chicago either side of the fireplace in his study. These were viewable to visitors invited when the Chicago show was on. About ten years ago, I heard that they may be for sale and would I be interested in one (YES!). The price was $50,000 each, then the situation changed to being $100,000 each, then not for sale. They were subsequently sold several years apart to a collector on the West Coast.

Pictures of these, see below:

The Marksman in Mermaid Case
The Marksman in Mermaid Case


Marksman Close Up
Marksman Close Up

The painting is not really to the English taste, but of the highest quality. I have seen one of them personally - the Big Game:

Shooting Big Game in Mermaid Case
Shooting Big Game in Mermaid Case


Shooting Big Game Close Up
Shooting Big Game Close Up

The two player game pictured in silver was in the John Gresham collection in Pocklington. This was when I visited about 15 years ago. It was bought I was told for ÂŁ100!! This is now with the same collector who has the set.

Artillery Duel in Castle Case
Artillery Duel in Castle Case

This means that there are five in the States that I know of. The home side are just in the lead with five and a half! Firstly the half: this is a mech. This was the result of the case being smashed as it was considered too heavy to be moved from a basement, and the mech saved for scrap brass. I met the man responsible and have seen the mech.

Next the Marksman mermaid that used to be at Ocean village in Southampton and playable for 10p. This was originally found by Joe Pettit and purchased from a retired operator for ÂŁ100:

The Marksman in Mermaid Case
The Marksman in Mermaid Case


Next there are two machines still with the same family who have owned them over fifty years and refused all offers over the years to sell them (including from me). The Big Game picture posted by Bob is one of them. The two player castle pictures now added:

Artillery Duel & Shooting Big Game in Castle Cases
Artillery Duel & Shooting Big Game in Castle Cases


Shooting Big Game in Castle Case
Shooting Big Game in Castle Case

The Christies castle was bought by me in 2000 when the Haskell/Costa collection was sold:

Artillery Duel in Castle Case
Artillery Duel in Castle Case



There is one other two player mermaid owned by an English collector. I have seen a photo only. So of the 18, we can account for six two-player games, three Marksmen and only two Big Game. Of these, only three are castles. There are still seven out there to find. Does any one know of any others?
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by bryans fan »

Another fascinating post. Great work Sweetmeats -/00\- !SHERLOCK!
Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by gameswat »

The Marksman shown above now in the USA with gloriously embellished paintwork is in fact truly of the "English taste" - since that's where it was done! The scan comes from the Jan 1978 Vol 2 No 1 issue of the English magazine "Pinball Player & Penny Slot Collector". There was a Christmas Party held by the magazine in Dec 1977 with a Concours d'Elegance. The plaque received for the above Marksman is still attached to the back of the machine! I've also seen the matching Big Game in person and they did look like they came from the same artist. Possibly both owned by Les Hinsley in the 70's? Or else Jasper may have paid one of his artists to match the paintwork if his Big Game came from somewhere else?
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by treefrog »

Some of you guys are in another league when it comes to collecting, I would fear having a machine like this kicking around my house, especially when worth way more than the value of my house...

Shame all these machines are not displayed for public consumption, but that is the way it goes I guess..
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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Thanks gameswat for the information on the painting, still think quality of painting is great and as now know done in England even better however will be leaving mine red!
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by gameswat »

Here's some more interesting history on the Automatic Sports machines. These scans come from a Jan 29th 1972 World's Fair magazine.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by coppinpr »

i wonder if that shed in a field is still there with the "scores of machines" still inside :(
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by john t peterson »

Many years ago, I was contacted by one of you blokes (to remain unnamed) asking me to see if I could find part of a mermaid that was rumored to be hidden in plain sight in Pasadena, California, possibly in a nursery. As the story went, the mermaid base was being used as support for an aquarium. I arranged an over-night in Pasadena, rented a car and hit the circuit. I never did find the mermaid but did locate a two-man helicopter race game in one of the antique shops.

I like to think the old girl is still out there, holding up the tank full of little fishes.

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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by gameswat »

JP, what year would this have been?
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by john t peterson »

Memory is uncertain but to the best of my recollection, Gameswat, it would be around 2001-02. I'll PM you with some more details.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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About seven years ago, when visiting America for a COCA convention I was talking to Ken Rubin (Drop Coin Here author) about the cast iron shooters and he mentioned that some years earlier he had heard of the base of a mermaid in New York being used as a birdbath. I seem to recall he hadn't seen it personally. Could this be the same reported as a fish tank? Or maybe to the one Bob reported on in Oz.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

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Many thanks to Sweetmeats and Gameswat for their further contributions to the Matthewson machines thread. It’s really great to get all this information documented on the Pennymachines Forum pages and perhaps I can throw some further light on Matthewson and his coin op machines.

The two accounts by Bolland are from an interview conducted by the late Jon Gresham in connection with a book on coin op machines that he was writing. Sadly, although completed, Jon’s book was never published, as Ken Rubin’s book Drop Coin Here came out and publishers told Jon that there was not room for two books on the subject of coin op at that time.

Jon very generously shared the Bolland interview with coin op collectors including myself at the time. The two Matthewson gun machines had been found by Les Hinsley in Folkestone and were bought by him and Jon Gresham. Hinsley, as the finder, had the first pick of the two and consequently chose the mermaid cased one and had it repainted; Jon Gresham kept the fort machine in its original colours. The account by Bolland clearly puts the date of his conversions as having been done from 1946-1948, not as is sometimes stated during the '20s or '30s.

The belief that the Matthewson cast iron cabinets had started their life intended for another purpose stemmed from Bolland, and according to Jon Gresham the belief that they would have been intended as aquarium tank bases originated from Joe Pettit, another very early coin op machine collector. My discovery of the original design patents by Matthewson however disproved this theory.

Both of the letters in the World’s Fair/Coin Slot cutting recently put up here by Gameswat stated that a Mr Rowland of Manchester and his father operated nearly 800 of the Matthewson machines, mostly cast iron football machines in the north of the UK and many seaside piers. Indeed most of the football, golf and cricket machines that have turned up in the UK have Rowland’s name on the Directions/Instructions plate. On the other hand most, if not all, of the Matthewson’s machines that have turned up in Australia have Matthewson’s not Rowland’s name on the plates, indicating that they came here before Mr Rowland began operating them.

In the late '90s I corresponded with a friend in the UK and we endeavoured to do some research on Rowland’s operation of the Matthewson machines without any luck whatsoever. Rowland is not mentioned in the books by Braithwaite or Nic Costa. The only information that we had was in the article from the World’s Fair/Coin Slot. I am sure that there is much more to be learnt about the operation of the Matthewson sports machines during the interwar years.

Of the Matthewson machines that have turned up in Australia, these would have come here before Rowland commenced operating them. What has turned up in Australia to my knowledge are 3 Cricket Match machines complete in their cast iron cases and one Cricket Match mechanism, 3 six man Football Games, 2 two man Football Game machines, 4 Golf machines and 1 Mermaid Yacht Race. My Yacht Race, Golf and six man Football Match and, I think, one of the two man Football Match machines have gone to the US. I have the serial numbers of most of these machines and it would be useful, at some time, to compare the serial numbers of all the known remaining machines to help estimate how many of each type were originally manufactured.

One of the Golf machines listed above is in Australia, but I am unaware of its present ownership or location. There may exist another Football machine which was operated at a tourist site about forty years ago and is unlikely to have been thrown out. Similarly, there is mention of a Mermaid Yacht Race (see attached newspaper cutting) that was operated on a Queensland pier many years ago. This could be the same Yacht Race that I had which came from an Adelaide operator and which he may have brought from England, or he may have obtained it from the Redcliffe pier operator. However, it could be another Mermaid Yacht Race and is still out there somewhere. The same operator on the Queensland pier also had a Matthewson Golf and a Cricket Match, but both of these are now in the Queensland Museum.

Matthewson-Machines-on-Redcliffe-Pier540a.jpg

For many years it was thought that Matthewson invented the three Mechanical Trading Company machines, the Twist your Grip, Try Your Grip and the Automatic Shooting Range but I could never find Matthewson’s patents for these. Not really surprising as these were found to be the inventions of others who patented them. That this misattribution was finally discovered was due to Sweetmeats querying why Matthewson was considered the inventor (as I should have done but did not do) and as established by the researches of Gameswat and Sweetmeats and published on this forum.

Whilst Matthewson invented and patented many other things, there are still two coin op machines for which we have the patents, but the machines do not seem to have survived. One of these is patent specification 19,243 1892 “Improvements in Coin or the like Operated Apparatus for testing the Force of a Blow”. This is a coin operated High Striker type of machine the like of which I have never come across.

Matthewson-Patent-19243-1892a.jpg

The other is a much later patent, 196,650, 1922 “Improvements in Coin Operated Machines”. This is a comparatively simpler mechanism and cabinet than Matthewson’s other coin op machines in a wooden cabinet, for a game called “Police Station” or “Jail”.
That this was manufactured and operated by Matthewson was attested to by Matthewson’s step grandson who was interviewed by my friend in the UK sometime around the year 2000. The step grandson remembered the machine and drew a detailed picture of it, similar to that shown in the patent illustration. Perhaps someone has come across such a machine still existing somewhere?

Matthewson-Patent-196,650-1923542a.jpg

Last edited by bob on Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Automatic Sports Company games

Post by bryans fan »

**xXx**
Absolutely fascinating stuff Bob, thanks for sharing.
A welcome change from discussing bandits!
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Re: Matthewson (Automatic Sports Co.) games

Post by 13rebel »

I'll second that! :D
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Re: Matthewson (Automatic Sports Co.) games

Post by hottoddy »

The two accounts by Bolland are from an interview conducted by the late Jon Gresham in connection with a book on coin op machines that he was writing. Sadly, although completed, Jon’s book was never published
I could read these stories for days. Is there a book waiting to be published? Please keep this going.. !!MEXWAVE!!
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