PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Show us what you found. Make us jealous!
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Two Handan-Ni games

Post by pennymachines »

Bonanza gipsy (who has been a lurker on the site since 2006!) phoned me this morning about these games. He has owned them for many years, and rescued them from a leaky shed. All that was left was the fronts so, as treefrog surmised, the carved tops aren't original. Most of the mechanisms were gone, but the original graphics were preserved (copied and reprinted on the games). He says the original Handan-Ni labels also survived (hence the attribution). I suggested the mechanism may be very similar to other Handan-Ni's. The catcher above looks to be the same game.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Two Handan-Ni games

Post by pennymachines »

Following TF's lead on this (namely, that it's by Pessers, Moody Wraith & Gurr), I've found the 1915 patent for the game, which shows the mechanism. Evidently, some changes were made to the production design. I've added it to Archive/Patents: GB191510036

Although Handan-Ni were manufacturers and distributors to the trade, there are no patents listed under their name. PMW&G Ltd were at 148-150 Curtain Road, London, less than a mile from Handan-Ni Ltd's 121 Middlesex Street base.

There are a bunch of other patents by Pessers & co. which I will also add.
Attachments
10036.gif
bonanza gipsy
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 7:18 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: north wales

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by bonanza gipsy »

You can see by the plaque that it was made by a company formerly trading as Handan-Ni. That might account for not finding it. Also it has quite a bit of mechanism in it...
MANUFACTURED BY
London Automatic Machine Co. Ltd.
FORMERLY TRADING AS
HANDAN-NI LIMITED
12, 14 & 16 WESTMORELAND PLACE
CITY ROAD, LONDON, N.1.
Attachments
Handan-Ni-badge.jpg
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by pennymachines »

Of course the name alluded to the 'hand and eye' coordination (i.e. skill) required to play their games. Paul Braithwaite tells us they changed it to London Automatic Machine Co. Ltd. in 1919, due to difficulties in making it understood over the telephone. That gives us the earliest date your game could have been made. The correct spelling of the original name continues to confuse in the internet age.

I haven't found any patents applied for by the London Automatic Machine Co. I'm guessing they were manufacturing for, or agents of, Pessers, Moody, Wraith & Gurr.
PMW&G's 1917 French patent for Bijou Pickwick: FR481713
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7212
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 25
Location: East Midlands

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by badpenny »

pennymachines wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:51 pm ....... the name alluded to the 'hand and eye' coordination (i.e. skill) required to play their games .....
Well Strewth and 'Blige me sideways! I did not know that.
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by gameswat »

badpenny wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:31 pm
pennymachines wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:51 pm ....... the name alluded to the 'hand and eye' coordination (i.e. skill) required to play their games .....
Well Strewth and 'Blige me sideways! I did not know that.
Attachments
handan-ni tokens.jpg
handan-ni tokens.jpg (43.2 KiB) Viewed 2455 times
bonanza gipsy
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 7:18 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: north wales

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by bonanza gipsy »

The two machines which, as you say, are over restored, belong to me, but if you had seen them when I came across them, I doubt if you would have given them a second look. Sides, top and bottom rotted, basically just the front doors and not much else. They were so bad that my wife banned them from anywhere near the house. So I restored them as I thought they would probably have been, with no reference to go by. I don't think I got it far wrong. The small plaque on the play field states The London Automatic Machine Co, Formally trading as Handan-Ni, but can't find much about them. The machines play on 1/2p. If you would like to talk more about machines I would be happy speak with you. You can call me on 07513843063 and ask for Graham.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by pennymachines »

bonanza gipsy wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:00 pm The small plaque on the play field states The London Automatic Machine Co, Formally trading as Handan-Ni, but can't find much about them.

Again, from Paul Braithwaite:
The London Automatic Machine Co. Ltd... came into being in early 1919, at 12 Middlesex St., Bishopsgate, E1. By autumn of that year it had occupied 12, 14 &16 Westmoreland Place, N1. In late Spring 1921 the "Handan-Ni" trademark, manufacturing rights, plant and premises were taken over by Jofeh & Stapleton. The London Automatic Machine Co. remained in business as hirers of machines and dealers. In 1926 their premises and contents at 169 Cleethorpes Rd., Grimsby (an arcade) were for sale. In 1927 they were once more "Manufacturer, patentees and suppliers" of all kinds of automatics. In 1929 they were one of a number in the industry controlled and owned by Associated Automatic Machine Corporation. Last advert 1930.

John Jofeh was co-patentee with HJG Pessers and FE Moody on a coin acceptor, further attesting to ties between Handan-Ni/London Automatic Machine Co. and Pessers, Moody, Wraith & Gurr.
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by brigham »

I doubt the machines play on ½p.
The very thought makes me shiver!
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by arrgee »

Aha - just about to say many machines of this age played on 1/2d ....... but read your post again! !THUMBS!
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by brigham »

We are guardians of more than just machines here; we are guardians of our culture too!
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1589
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: PMW&G / Handan-Ni Bijou Pickwicks

Post by arrgee »

Could not have put it better myself !!THUMBSX2!!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest