The Oliver Whales Story

[arrgee]

I am thinking late 40s to early 1950s purely on the basis of the large perspex dome on the hexagonal machine to the right. My understanding is that perspex, having been invented in the early 1930s was first used for aircraft canopies during the war. So allowing for the war years plus a few post war years to get the amusement industry back on its feet, leads me to think of the late 40s early 50s, purely circumspect but 50s just seems about right to me.

[pennymachines]

I have moved and merged coppinpr's post about this photograph to the topic in which it was originally discovered and posted by forum member Terry in 2012.

...I have been checking the London phone books for Whales & White. The only listing I could find was for 1950. They were listed as Whales & White, Automatic Machines, 17 Lower Marsh, London SE1. By 1952, they were not listed at all, and I could not find them listed prior to 1950, but some of the pre 1950 directories were not complete... But it looks as if it was a short lived partnership, but then Oliver had many deals going with many people over the years.

I have done a quick search on your photographer. His full name was Walter A. Lee, and he worked from home, and the full address was No.73, Comyn Road, SW11.

...I am 99% certain that this was a partnership between The White advertising company, of Midland Bank Chambers, Warwick Road, Birmingham 27, and Whales of Redcar, and if you study the photo you will see that they are selling slot machines & advertising boards etc. White Advertising was run by Harry Bertram White and his brother... I have also found out that the White brothers split up a few years after this photo was taken, and Harry went on to run the Master Vending Machine Company, which subsequently went into receivership in 1959.

[brigham]

"... Harry went on to run the Master Vending Machine Company, which subsequently went into receivership in 1959...."
...after making a shit football-themed Allwin with no payout and a bubble-gum vendor coin-mech.

[treefrog]

Ha ha, that’s so true, they definitely should exist in the “Bottom” list of machines. I also suspect this machine has to win an award for the most over paid machine, with the one that sold at Christies in 2001 for £2350, according to the Bank of England inflation calculator that is an incredible £3915 I thought the one on eBay at £500 was bad enough.

https://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot ... ID=3047893

[badpenny]

I remember selling you one Tom at some point, somewhere ...