Circus

The Genco Manufacturing Company's 1939 Circus pinball machine is a charming piece of pre-war pinball history. Released in February 1939 by the Chicago-based manufacturer, it is an electro-mechanical (EM) game from the flipperless era, when players launched balls into the playfield and watched gravity and bumpers determine their fate.

Circus features 15 passive bumpers spread across its playfield. With no flippers - those would not be invented until 1947 - skill came down to how the player launched each ball, making careful plunging the key to maximizing scoring potential. The machine's design reflects the era's characteristic simplicity and reliance on mechanical and electromechanical components. The theme, centered on circus and carnival imagery, adds to the charm and nostalgic appeal of the machine.

Limited information is available about the designer or specific art contributions to the Circus pinball machine. However, Genco was a significant manufacturer of the era, and games like this one help illustrate the evolution of pinball in the years just before flippers transformed the game.