Circus

The Circus pinball machine, manufactured by Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) of Chicago in August 1948, is an interesting early flipper game from a long-established coin-op manufacturer. Released in the post-war era just after flippers debuted in 1947, when pinball was gaining popularity as a form of entertainment, it captures the industry experimenting with the new mechanism in creative ways.

Circus has a quirky control scheme: both flippers activate simultaneously when either flipper button is pressed, an arrangement common in the earliest flipper games. Its most distinctive feature sits at the center of the playfield - a device the score card called a 'flipper bumper' and the manufacturer's ads called an 'agitating bumper'. Balls striking its skirt are automatically "flipped" in unexpected directions, adding a dose of unpredictability to every ball. The game rounds out its playfield with eleven passive bumpers and four kick-out holes, and a replay knockoff button on the cabinet bottom allowed operators to pay out awards at the location.

The machine's circus/carnival theme suits the lively, chaotic gameplay, evoking a sense of joy and spectacle. Little is known about the designer of this particular machine, but its unusual center bumper and early-flipper-era mechanics make it an interesting piece of pinball history.