Victorian Demo-Promo 1895 Model by Argyle Automatic 541 Caledonian Rd London N

London entrepreneur Colonel John Hiodini Meurice, Magician born John Jones with the pseudonym Professor John Luigi Meurice Hiodini. Maurice started his business circa 1890 at 39 Argyle Square to sell cards for all types of machines

In order to show cards to buyers he developed his own auto machine without any price tags. Victorian utilitarian design with its rustic paintwork and probably his earliest automatic Catch for quick card loading and visuals without having to lock and unlock the door. Three lift off hinges on each side panel which were possibly for mirror flaps. Two hinges on top for a maker’s name and also a carrying handle. Evidence of previous tags attached to the rear boards. Clairvoyance uses the “magnetism” from mirrors Arnold Genthe Yft photo dates 1895-1906 Crystal Ball shows the fortune.

Arnold Genthe, born Berlin in 1869, died Milford, CT on Aug 9, 1942. He studied classical philosophy, archaeology, and philosophy receiving a PhD in 1894 in Paris; a linguist proficient in eight languages. Genthe moved to San Francisco in 1895 and opened a portrait studio working with gelatin dry-plate negatives in platinum and silver where he produced monochromes and he started colour in 1908.

Yfdaa places her hands gently on the crystal ball to energise it and to strengthen the psychic rapport; she allows her eyes to relax and become slightly unfocused and stares deeply to visualise the question. A mist starts to form in the crystal ball which slowly grows to fill the ball, gradually it clears to reveal images; her subconscious mind knows what information you need to know. The images may not be related to your question but the more she works with the crystal ball the better Yftaa will get at being able to see and let the images flow. They will change and take you wherever they choose you to go. All will eventually be revealed and become understood.

Each crystal ball is unique and has its own individual personality and emit energy in all directions and can produce visions when stared at for a long time. Light reflected from a polished surface will eventually exhaust the eye's sensitive optic nerve so that it stops transmitting an external image. Without an exterior impression to fix itself on, the eye begins to respond to stimuli coming from the mind or subconscious of itself, from the past, the present or the future.

Repatriated with two original demo "Wings" Now has a full set of original cards & back lighting

Shoot a the ball into the six 'cup' winning gallery and turn the handle for 2 pennies. With each turn of the handle the central rotor moves one notch anti-clockwise. The extra wins arrive when the balls in the rotor reach the top for payouts of 4 or 6 pennies. This version of the game has a closed rotor, acting as a payout indicator, much like the Morris Shefras Crackerjack allwin.

Typical of Hoopers' output, this small metal-cased Deco-style wall-mounted spinning pointer fortune teller is modest in concept and construction. It employs the well-known half-moon cog mechanism to drive the spinning pointer from a penny's downward momentum.

Genco Spit Fire (Spitfire) American Pin Table from 1930's, flipperless Electro Mechanical Machine with flashing lights and ball propulsion action. 

This little mechanical pintable of unknown name and make is typical of the type produced in Britain in response to the craze for such games in America which coincided with the start of the Great Depression in October 1929. The gameplay is that of a simple coin-operated bagatelle with convenient numbered pockets for totting up the final score.

Airship bomb-dropper game: drop three balls over the battleship targets to win. No examples known.