1950s - '60s British arcade photos
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1950s - '60s British arcade photos
From pinball to peep shows: Black and white photographs reveal how Londoners of all ages enjoyed themselves in amusement arcades during the 1950s, Daily Mail, 18 February 2019
Two women smile as they play the 'Cupid's Secret' slot machine at an amusement arcade in London in December 1951. People using the machine had to insert a penny before gripping the handle and squeezing it gently together to 'reveal your secret'
The arcades were often frequented by people playing pinball, with a line of machines seen here at one in London in 1951. The machines can still be found at arcades today, but they were a much bigger draw before video games arrived in the 1970s
A group of men and women enjoy the 'Folies Bergere' peep show machine, named after the cabaret hall in Paris of the same name. The machines might look out of place today, but were a common sight in arcades in the 1950s, predating adult cinemas
The saucy 'Grip-Teze' was a slot machine which saw players try to make a woman's clothes vanish by testing their strength on two hand grips. Ratings range from 'well-covered' to 'Oh, boy' - with players told: 'The more you grip, the more you strip'
A group of off-duty soldiers gather around the slot machines in the amusement arcade. A mat promoting the classic Indian cigarettes brand Gold Flake can be seen on the floor, and adverts for the upstairs 'Winchester Rifle Range' are on the glass
Two schoolboys eye up the prizes at the Claw Crane game - a type of entertainment still found in arcades today, although stuffed toys and boxes of cash are more commonly on offer nowadays to those with a steady hand and a bit of luck
A man holds a cigarette in his mouth as he has his palm read by a machine. The amusements, also known as penny arcades, were most often frequented by men and teenagers, although families could also enjoy a night out there together
A tattooist waits in his tattoo parlour for customers, as he poses for a portrait showing off his inkings. Tattoos first became popular in Britain in Victorian times when the Queen's grandson and future King George V got one in Japan aged 16 in 1881
An aerial view of the amusement arcade and the pinball machines, in one of the remarkable photographs showing how the British public used to enjoy a variety of coin-operated games including palm reading, pinball and even peep shows
A man thought to be the manager of an arcade is pictured in 1951. Many grand theatres in seaside towns including Brighton and Blackpool became arcades in the 1960s before they really took off in 1970s with the launch of video games
Two fashionable young women study a newspaper on a table in the amusement arcade as others play games. Coin-operated games were first introduced in the 1930s but it took until the 1972 release of Pong for arcade games to become fully electronic
A young man enjoys the saucy peep show in the coin operated machine. This machine was built by Mutoscope, an American early motion picture device patented in the 1890s which soon dominated the coin-operated peep show market
A man and woman play on a horse racing-themed pinball machine called '2,000 Guineas' as two others watch the ball moving around. The machine is named after the famous mile-long race at Newmarket which has been run for more than two centuries
Looking into her crystal ball, a fortune teller sees into the future amid her mystical-looking surroundings while a dog walks around. A popular sight at funfairs, the practice of fortune telling actually has origins going back to 4000 BC in Egypt
A man is giving his change as a young soldier watches on at an arcade. The entertainment venues had become a staple of the British seaside holiday by the 1930s, although these archive photos show that they were also popular in London
A man sorts through a bucket full of coins from the slot machines at his arcade. Popularity of the venues has suffered in recent years thanks to the rise of people owning video game consoles at home - reducing the need to go out to experience them
Queues of people outside the amusement arcade, which features a Winchester Rifle Range - a common sight as interest in cowboys spread across Britain. The ranges were so called because people could fire Winchester repeater rifles there
I'm surprised none of you Daily Mail readers posted this...
Some great images I haven't seen before. They come from the TopFoto Archive. With suitable search words you can find more, but have to pay for full size without the copyright watermarks.
Two women smile as they play the 'Cupid's Secret' slot machine at an amusement arcade in London in December 1951. People using the machine had to insert a penny before gripping the handle and squeezing it gently together to 'reveal your secret'
The arcades were often frequented by people playing pinball, with a line of machines seen here at one in London in 1951. The machines can still be found at arcades today, but they were a much bigger draw before video games arrived in the 1970s
A group of men and women enjoy the 'Folies Bergere' peep show machine, named after the cabaret hall in Paris of the same name. The machines might look out of place today, but were a common sight in arcades in the 1950s, predating adult cinemas
The saucy 'Grip-Teze' was a slot machine which saw players try to make a woman's clothes vanish by testing their strength on two hand grips. Ratings range from 'well-covered' to 'Oh, boy' - with players told: 'The more you grip, the more you strip'
A group of off-duty soldiers gather around the slot machines in the amusement arcade. A mat promoting the classic Indian cigarettes brand Gold Flake can be seen on the floor, and adverts for the upstairs 'Winchester Rifle Range' are on the glass
Two schoolboys eye up the prizes at the Claw Crane game - a type of entertainment still found in arcades today, although stuffed toys and boxes of cash are more commonly on offer nowadays to those with a steady hand and a bit of luck
A man holds a cigarette in his mouth as he has his palm read by a machine. The amusements, also known as penny arcades, were most often frequented by men and teenagers, although families could also enjoy a night out there together
A tattooist waits in his tattoo parlour for customers, as he poses for a portrait showing off his inkings. Tattoos first became popular in Britain in Victorian times when the Queen's grandson and future King George V got one in Japan aged 16 in 1881
An aerial view of the amusement arcade and the pinball machines, in one of the remarkable photographs showing how the British public used to enjoy a variety of coin-operated games including palm reading, pinball and even peep shows
A man thought to be the manager of an arcade is pictured in 1951. Many grand theatres in seaside towns including Brighton and Blackpool became arcades in the 1960s before they really took off in 1970s with the launch of video games
Two fashionable young women study a newspaper on a table in the amusement arcade as others play games. Coin-operated games were first introduced in the 1930s but it took until the 1972 release of Pong for arcade games to become fully electronic
A young man enjoys the saucy peep show in the coin operated machine. This machine was built by Mutoscope, an American early motion picture device patented in the 1890s which soon dominated the coin-operated peep show market
A man and woman play on a horse racing-themed pinball machine called '2,000 Guineas' as two others watch the ball moving around. The machine is named after the famous mile-long race at Newmarket which has been run for more than two centuries
Looking into her crystal ball, a fortune teller sees into the future amid her mystical-looking surroundings while a dog walks around. A popular sight at funfairs, the practice of fortune telling actually has origins going back to 4000 BC in Egypt
A man is giving his change as a young soldier watches on at an arcade. The entertainment venues had become a staple of the British seaside holiday by the 1930s, although these archive photos show that they were also popular in London
A man sorts through a bucket full of coins from the slot machines at his arcade. Popularity of the venues has suffered in recent years thanks to the rise of people owning video game consoles at home - reducing the need to go out to experience them
Queues of people outside the amusement arcade, which features a Winchester Rifle Range - a common sight as interest in cowboys spread across Britain. The ranges were so called because people could fire Winchester repeater rifles there
I'm surprised none of you Daily Mail readers posted this...
Some great images I haven't seen before. They come from the TopFoto Archive. With suitable search words you can find more, but have to pay for full size without the copyright watermarks.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Some very interesting photos including 7 from that same arcade shown above (dated Dec 1951).
This one (from a different arcade) caught my eye as interesting:
being interested in vending machines I also noticed a rare gas mantle vendor.
This one (from a different arcade) caught my eye as interesting:
being interested in vending machines I also noticed a rare gas mantle vendor.
Yes, they actually used the original 1890 winchester design rifle which was a .22 and easy to buy cheap secondhand, Remington and Western Ammo both made a special bullet for fairground range use called "Kant-splash" which disintegrated on impact for safety (??)The ranges were so called because people could fire Winchester repeater rifles there
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Fabulous pictures, thanks! Makes you yearn for the old days, minus all the cigarette smoking.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
No allwins either, at least not in view.
The two lads intent on a prize from the crane is a classic. Just how I remember it - all peanuts and nothing worth winning.
The fat controller's perfect with his watch chain, cigar and a look that would deter anyone from complaining, "it stole my penny".
The two lads intent on a prize from the crane is a classic. Just how I remember it - all peanuts and nothing worth winning.
The fat controller's perfect with his watch chain, cigar and a look that would deter anyone from complaining, "it stole my penny".
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Does anybody know what the 'Come Again' machine in the first photo might be? Maybe a vendor of some sort as there appears to be the word 'empty' on one side.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
I've seen it before but know little about it. it's called "Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall", or something like that.
That Berkel scale is truly massive, bigger than the WSG "Classic". The National Service squaddies surrounding the prize vendor is also a great photo of the era.
There is a machine to their right as you look at them with a steering wheel (the drum can be seen clearer in another photo). I remember these as a kid, a large green drum rotated towards you and you had to steer a bar using the steering wheel and un lock doors on the drum. Anyone know what these were called and who made them?
That Berkel scale is truly massive, bigger than the WSG "Classic". The National Service squaddies surrounding the prize vendor is also a great photo of the era.
There is a machine to their right as you look at them with a steering wheel (the drum can be seen clearer in another photo). I remember these as a kid, a large green drum rotated towards you and you had to steer a bar using the steering wheel and un lock doors on the drum. Anyone know what these were called and who made them?
Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Fantastic pictures. Nice to see a Sidney Knows in star position right at the front, quite a high overall percentage of fortune related machines which shows how popular they were, and still are.
The absence of allwins, bandits etc may have been down to something like a condition of the lease. Old leases often had moral and no gambling clauses within them. We once operated an arcade with a restrictive lease, we could only operate amusement only machines and skill machines (and not amusement with prize machines).
It took us many years to overturn the condition before we could operate them.
The absence of allwins, bandits etc may have been down to something like a condition of the lease. Old leases often had moral and no gambling clauses within them. We once operated an arcade with a restrictive lease, we could only operate amusement only machines and skill machines (and not amusement with prize machines).
It took us many years to overturn the condition before we could operate them.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
It's Irish Sweepstakes, made from 1948 by Stevenson & Lovett (as was the Strip Teze).
You steer a nurse, and the drum represents the rotating drum from which nurses used to draw the winning lottery tickets (with names of racehorses on them). The Irish Hospital Sweepstake ran from 1930 to 1987, supposedly to raise funds for underinvested medical services in Ireland, but mostly to line the lottery owners' pockets.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Imagine opening up that arcade as a sealed time capsule! Because of its lack of gambling machines it's stuffed with machines that are rare and valuable today, cranes, viewers, fortune tellers and strength testers. The Mills strength tester in photo 7 would fetch a pretty penny today on its own! Anyone ID the strength tester side on in photo 11? Perhaps from the same stable as this Automatic novelty. Both the machines in the arcade photos were guaranteed to give you a hernia that's for sure.
Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Some amazing photos there ... and some stories to be told about running arcades in those days ...
Here is a photo that was sent to me by Freddy Bailey for my website www.ditchburn.co.uk it shows his fathers arcade in 1955 which was situated at the top of Mundesley Cliffs in North Norfolk, the arcade is still there and operating today, it is now owned by one the Grays showman family. i spent much of my pocket money there as a child playing many of the Bryans and Jamiesons machines that they operated there during the 60s and 70s
The Photo shows the centrepiece of the arcade which was a Ditchburn Music Maker T100 ( Tonomat ) 100 play Jukebox plus many of the allwins and wall machines.
All the best ... Dicky
Here is a photo that was sent to me by Freddy Bailey for my website www.ditchburn.co.uk it shows his fathers arcade in 1955 which was situated at the top of Mundesley Cliffs in North Norfolk, the arcade is still there and operating today, it is now owned by one the Grays showman family. i spent much of my pocket money there as a child playing many of the Bryans and Jamiesons machines that they operated there during the 60s and 70s
The Photo shows the centrepiece of the arcade which was a Ditchburn Music Maker T100 ( Tonomat ) 100 play Jukebox plus many of the allwins and wall machines.
All the best ... Dicky
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
Thanks to Freddy & Dickie for the picture.
Youths gathered round a machine in the amusement arcade at Canvey Island, 1956
Young Mods in an amusement arcade in London, 1964
Does anyone have a decent photo of the Stevenson & Lovett's Irish Sweepstakes? I've seen a few of these peculiar games at auction over the years but it's bugging me that I can't find a decent picture here, elsewhere on the web, or in any of the books.
Youths gathered round a machine in the amusement arcade at Canvey Island, 1956
Young Mods in an amusement arcade in London, 1964
Does anyone have a decent photo of the Stevenson & Lovett's Irish Sweepstakes? I've seen a few of these peculiar games at auction over the years but it's bugging me that I can't find a decent picture here, elsewhere on the web, or in any of the books.
Re: 1950s British arcade photos
This was formerly Bob's machine and has since changed hands a couple times. At least two fairly complete examples are in Aust that I know of.
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Re: 1950s British arcade photos
We compared photos of Southend seafront to see how much it changed in 60 years
Essex Live
Day trippers from London's East End seen here playing the one armed bandits in an amusement arcade of Southend's seafront (Wheel Em In on left)
Two elderly ladies playing the slot machines at the end of the pier in 1963
A holidaymaker listening to her fortune being read by the Telefortune machine
Tourists playing the slots in 1963
(Images: Daily Herald/Ron Burton)
Essex Live
Day trippers from London's East End seen here playing the one armed bandits in an amusement arcade of Southend's seafront (Wheel Em In on left)
Two elderly ladies playing the slot machines at the end of the pier in 1963
A holidaymaker listening to her fortune being read by the Telefortune machine
Tourists playing the slots in 1963
(Images: Daily Herald/Ron Burton)
Re: 1950s - '60s British arcade photos
Great pictures.
The picture below has a line of bandits call Duchess I have never seen before, obviously a Gunther Wulff based machine, but the size and shape of a Mills extraordinary, looks like a plastic case maybe
Also great to see another Space Flight in action on the right and lastly the Jackpot Shefras Allwin which dates them back to arcades in 1963
The picture below has a line of bandits call Duchess I have never seen before, obviously a Gunther Wulff based machine, but the size and shape of a Mills extraordinary, looks like a plastic case maybe
Also great to see another Space Flight in action on the right and lastly the Jackpot Shefras Allwin which dates them back to arcades in 1963
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Re: 1950s - '60s British arcade photos
Are these also marked "Duchess"? It could be, but the first letter not quite right perhaps?
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