Flying Trapeze Bar

The Flying Trapeze Bar is a rare electro-mechanical pinball machine from January 1935, produced by the Scientific Machine Corporation of Brooklyn, New York. As an early EM machine, it holds a place in the history of the game from a period when pinball manufacturers were experimenting with new mechanics and designs that would eventually shape the industry.

Despite its age, the machine's gameplay would have combined skillful ball launching, gravity, and tilt to navigate a simple, functional playfield -- the player-controlled flipper was still more than a decade from being invented. This austerity in design highlights the early days of pinball, when machines were often more functional than decorative. Even so, this starkness is part of what makes the Flying Trapeze Bar interesting to enthusiasts today, offering a glimpse into the evolution of pinball's mechanical and aesthetic development.

Little is known about the machine's designer or any notable features, leaving room for further research among collectors and historians. Nevertheless, the Flying Trapeze Bar remains a piece in the chronology of pinball history, providing a tangible connection to the early, pre-flipper days of the game.