Formerly from Auckland NZ, John Mason has been living in Melbourne since 1991.

He has been collecting and repairing pinball since then. He operated machines full time through the 1990’s and well into the 2000’s.

With a fondness for older style machines, he has a vision for a project showcasing the evolution of coin op amusements 1900 - 2000.

Below are some images discussed near the end of this talk.

Egyptian style; an operator friend of John’s had a unique way of moving pins in his station wagon.

A Chicago Express machine from 1935, utilised a flash lamp and vertical upkickers long before the modern era.

A 1932 patent by Charles M Gravatt for a flipper type mechanism