Chain-A-Light
About This Machine
The Chain-A-Light pinball machine, manufactured by Pacific Amusement Manufacturing Company (PAMCO) of Chicago in June 1935, is an early example of electro-mechanical (EM) pinball design from the Depression-era coin-op boom. PAMCO was active only from 1932 to 1937, and its games offer a window into a formative period when manufacturers were rapidly experimenting with electricity to enhance what had begun as purely mechanical marble games.
As an electro-mechanical game from 1935, Chain-A-Light predates flippers (which would not appear until 1947), so play would have centered on launching balls into a scoring layout, with electric components adding lights or scoring action. Specific details about the machine's playfield and rules have not survived in the available documentation.
Information about the machine's design, art, and theme is limited due to the scarcity of historical records. Given its age and relative obscurity, Chain-A-Light remains an enigmatic piece within pinball history. Despite this, its existence as a relic from the 1930s serves as a testament to the pioneering spirit of early pinball manufacturers and their contributions to the development of the game we know today.