William Tell

The William Tell pinball machine, manufactured by Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) of Chicago in 1936, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) machine from the formative decade of coin-operated pinball. ESCO was one of the prominent manufacturers of the 1930s pinball boom, and William Tell reflects the mechanical design conventions of that period, relying on relays and switches rather than the flipper-based gameplay that would not arrive until 1947.

The game's name and presumed marksmanship theme evoke the legendary Swiss folk hero William Tell, in keeping with the whimsical, story-driven themes common on machines of the era. Specific details about its target layout and scoring rules are not well documented.

As a surviving example of mid-1930s ESCO manufacturing, William Tell offers collectors and historians a window into pre-flipper pinball design, even though many specifics of its gameplay and artwork remain undocumented.