Palm Beach

Palm Beach, manufactured in 1950 by the French company Etablissement Marchant, S.A. (EMA) of Levallois-Perret, is an early European electro-mechanical pinball machine notable for a relatively elaborate feature set for its time: four flippers, five pop bumpers, and two gobble holes.

The machine's original cabinet paint scheme is unknown -- surviving examples are believed to have been repainted at some point -- so its authentic visual identity has been lost to history. No specific theme is documented for the game either, suggesting its design emphasized functional playability over storytelling or elaborate artwork, which was common for the period.

Arriving in 1950, just a few years after the flipper was introduced to pinball in the United States, Palm Beach illustrates how quickly the new mechanic spread to European manufacturers like EMA. Its connection to this pivotal era in pinball's mechanical evolution makes it a notable piece for collectors and historians of early European pinball.