Seaside fortune teller

[ninecup]

Could anybody please supply any more information on this fortune teller. I presume it must have had an instruction card of some sort in the lower half of the window and possibly twin card venders.

[daveslot]

I would say it's a converted Tivoli. You can see strips of wood were the coin firing mech was.

[pennymachines]

As Dave says, the similarity to Haydon and Urry's mahogany-cased Tivoli is unmistakeable. Although there are strips of wood where the coin return payouts would be, I don't see any sign that there was ever a firing mechanism. The card draw and coin slot differ from their Tivoli counterparts, but have design features in common. For these reasons, I don't think we should dismiss the possibility that it was built by Haydon & Urry as a fortune teller. Little diorama fortune tellers were quite popular around the time the Tivoli was made (turn of the century) and the styling of the figures and scenery look quite early to me. Unfortunately, the camera's flash has obscured it somewhat. A close-up of the scene without the glass would be nice. Is there any sign the machine originally had a raked top? Is there some movement when you pull the draw?

Whatever its origins, I think it's charming.

Haydon & Urry Tivoli

From Automatic Pleasures, Nic Costa

[ninecup]

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The alterations match almost exactly. Big thanks.

This is the back scene.

[daveslot]

I don't see any sign that there was ever a firing mechanism.

Put your glasses on , I was refering to strips of wood down each side of front door
defo a Tivoli conversion, have seen similar ones before.

[ninecup]

Just a thought. Could this be similar to the BMC message from the sea fortune teller as listed in the Paul Braithwaite book? Or some kind of marriage.

[pennymachines]

Yeah, Dave called it right, as your reverse door view shows. How could I not clock the vertical strips? I do need new glasses.

Just a thought. Could this be similar to the BMC message from the sea fortune teller as listed in the Paul Braithwaite book? Or some kind of marriage.

Message From Over the Sea is certainly the perfect name for your fortune teller isn't it? 1919 is a plausible date too.

[ddstoys]

Some of the machines I see on this forum are just amazing.

[pennymachines]

This one's also available on ebay.

Diorama: The diorama portrays a young man dressed in a sailor’s outfit accompanied by the lady in his life. He is looking out to sea through his telescope at a steam yacht passing the nearby lighthouse. There is another yacht in the near right foreground. Judging by the style of the clothes being worn and the vessels, the depiction is of an early 20th.Century scene

[john t peterson]

Well, darn. I was hoping this sweet baby was here in the States.

Step up to the plates, lads. This one is a gem that would grace any collection.

J Peterson
Fortuneless in America

[jingle]

Yes John it's a nice machine
But it's the old thing about collectors asking
Is it original,and it's not
It's made up
But made up nice,,
I like it,but again you would have to make up what
To put on the front as in the wording
On the missing card

You could put
Some sailor for looking for his tivoli
But his misses was in the way

[john t peterson]