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Hello Everybody

I noticed this shock machine advertised as being made by A. Rowland & Son. Sir Nic Costa describes it as a J. Mason & Co. machine. The tag on the machine says "The Property of A. Rowland & Son". Can anyone straighten this out for me?

Cheers

Speaking from experience, I'd say that the seller is wrong.
(Especially if working for an Auction House).

Notice it says, 'Property of A Rowland and Son', not 'made by'. Rowland was a major operator in the early days and his badges are on Matthewson, Doughty & Barrett and Mason machines. Presumably Rowland made the enamels in hope that if any of his machines were mislaid or stolen, they might be returned...

Bob told us a little more about Rowland & Son here.

The cabinet style is quite similar to the Doughty & Barrett horse race game. The little rooftop with metal flashing is to keep the rain out, as pre-dating the cosy penny arcade, they were frequently sited outdoors, often seen on old postcards, grouped together with the aforementioned games, on the front of the pier.

If you just bought this, I think you got a bargain. £200 for a machine patented in 1889!

One sold 18 months ago at Morphys for $922 inc comm

Yep, as I said, a bargain, and the Morphy one had lost its Rowland plaque!

Be interesting to know what the machine number is on the £200 machine. Can't make it out in the photo.

From the full size image supplied by the auction house, it's 314.
Almost rubbed out on the instruction label it appears to say, "It is not advisable to take too strong a shock."

These things do give a surprisingly big shock, I put a replacement exciter into the "electric amuser" I had and it would kick you very hard and that was a fixed size charge,I believe this one was variable.
I wonder how many young men looking to impress their girlfriends were secretly hoping to lose on a machine like the Amuser so they could avoid the shock without losing face.