Page 25 - The Collector's Companion: Issue CC101

Fire away! Words and

photos by
1930s-1950s printed Terry Smith

playfield bagatelle

games Detail from ‘A Little Game of
Bagatelle’ (1864), J.L. Magee

Super Gold Star Big Shot Dan Dare Bagatelle Space rocket
Lindstrom Tool & Toy Co. Gotham Pressed Steel Corp. Chad Valley Chad Valley
Est. 1934, USA 1937, USA 1950s, UK 1950s, UK
Tin, 24ins tall. Tin, 24ins tall. Wood & hardboard, 24ins tall. Wood & hardboard, 24ins tall.
Valued from £50-£75 Valued from £50-£75 Valued from £100-£125 Valued from £50-£75
Pinball was a tabletop board game. The origins of
pinball can be traced to games like bocce and ground
billiards in which balls were rolled on a course. Ground
billiards evolved into the tabletop game with which we
are all familiar, and often refer to as “pool.” Eventually,
tabletop billiards evolved into an even smaller scale
version called bagatelle.
Bagatelle originated in France in the early eighteenth
century. Players used a stick, or cue, to hit a small ball
into pins then later, holes. In the mid eighteenth century
Japanese billiards improved upon this game further to
include metal pins to guide the ball, and incorporated a
metal plunger to send the ball on its course.
In the 1860s, Montague Redgrave, in Cincinnati USA,
patented another version that improved the game fur-
ther. He developed another mechanised spring loaded
plunger that would launch the ball into the field of play.
He also incorporated marbles as the balls (ball bear-
ings were also used) and reduced the size of the game
course to fit on a table.
These days, colourful versions such as those featured
here are just as likely to adorn walls as pieces of cool art!

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