Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd is a rare piece of early pinball history, produced by A.B.T. Manufacturing Company of Chicago in March 1936. It comes from the pre-flipper era of pinball, when electro-mechanical games were rapidly evolving, and it is a payout machine - a gambling-style game in which successful shots could reward the player with coins. Machines like this one illustrate the close relationship between early pinball and games of chance, a connection that would later fuel bans on pinball in many American cities.

In terms of gameplay, specifics about Captain Kidd's playfield are largely unknown, but as a single-player payout game of its day it would have had players launching balls toward scoring holes or targets, with luck playing a substantial role. This early pinball experience offers a glimpse into an era before flippers, when the skill lay chiefly in the plunger shot and nudging.

The machine's pirate theme is noteworthy, evoking the exploits of William Kidd, the infamous 17th-century privateer-turned-pirate. While specific details about the machine are scarce, its survival offers a chance to appreciate the work of A.B.T. Manufacturing Company, a Chicago coin-op maker active from 1927 to 1962, and its contribution to the formative years of pinball.