What were the very first electrical slot-machines that weren't shockers?

[oneswitch500]

I'm interested in finding out what were the very first electrical one-button / one-switch electrical amusements.

If it does something interesting/fun on the drop of a coin.... or after a coin, by pushing or pulling or squeezing a single button (no need to move levers)... I'd love to be able to pin it down.

I've read the first Love Testers were around 1929. But I assume plenty of those automatons (things like the Guillotine and haunted house automated displays) would be earlier. I'd discount most of the shockers, as they all seem to require levers or dials to be adjusted as part of the whole experience.

[coppinpr]

I know you are, quite rightly, disallowing shockers but it has to be said this "Electric Amuser" (pre-1914) meets all your requirements, insert a coin, win the game, get a shock. No levers to adjust; battery powered.

[oneswitch500]

Fascinating, bonkers machine. Fancy trying to win to get shocked. I'd never seen this before, thanks.

That said, would you still need to pull back a spring loaded lever to flick the ball into play? If so, it's not quite what I'm thinking of. I wonder if it's a bit early to have a solenoid to kick the ball into play, but perhaps it does.

This is the sort of thing that qualifies for what I'm looking for: https://www.oneswitch.org.uk/OS-REPOSIT ... 1-TOYS.pdf.

This all ties up with a project I'm working on to document the history of one-button electric games (and later video games too): https://oneswitch.org.uk/page/001

[arrgee]

Interesting websites oneswitch500, I see you have a link under 'Amusements' (in your second website) to "The Penny Arcade' website, which is run by one of our Forum members

[oneswitch500]

Thanks arrgee. This site and the penny-arcade site are fantastic resources. I've become really interested in these old amusement games since discovering how close the POSM (Patient Operated Selector Mechanism) was to a Jamieson's Electrodart: https://oneswitch.org.uk/page/002, which links to a lot of stuff I've been working in for many years.

[pennymachines]

Ogden & Co's Automatic Chime Bells (1899) looks like an early contender.

[wembleylion]

This from the Rock-Ola Store in America

In 1890 Louis Glass and William S Arnold modified an Edison Class M Electric Phonograph with a coin mechanism, making it the world’s first nickel in the slot phonograph. It had no speakers; patrons had to listen to the music using one of four listening tubes. The machine-made $1000 in its first six months of service.

Sadly can't seem to find a photograph

[coppinpr]

juke patent.jpeg (28.05 KiB) Viewed 210 times

The Glass and Arnold patent

their later improved version
As early as 1889 when Louis Glass & William S. Arnold retro fitted an Edison Class M electric phonograph with their patented automatic coin attachment and the Juke box (although not know by that name then) was born. The machine was made by the Pacific Phonograph Co and the first machine installed for public use was in the The Palais Royale Saloon ,San Francisco at 5am EST on the 23rd November 1889.

all the above courtesy of my very own www.penny-arcade.info web site

[oneswitch500]

Ogden & Co's Automatic Chime Bells (1899) looks like an early contender.

Love it. I wonder where that Automatic Chime Bells machine would have been operated. At a fun-fair? In a pub/bar?

This Rick Randall article suggests this is pre-amusement arcade: https://www.rickcrandall.net/wp-content ... Arcade.pdf

[oneswitch500]

Thanks wembleylion and coppinpr. The penny-arcade.info site is an amazing resource of amusement machine creativity.

It's always incredibly hard to pin down the first of anything, but that's compellingly much earlier than Love Tester machines as electric coin-operated "one-switch" entertainment. Don't suppose you're aware of the records played?