Combination

Combination, designed by Harry Williams and manufactured by the Automatic Amusements Company of Los Angeles in 1935, is an early electro-mechanical pin game from the pre-flipper era, notable chiefly for its designer: Williams would go on to become one of the most influential figures in pinball history. This game came after his 'Advance' of October 1933, which Williams himself cited as the first complete game he designed and the first to use his famous tilt mechanism.

The game features two kickers and was advertised at a compact 40 inches long by 20 inches wide. A practical touch for the battery-powered era was its automatic shutoff, which saved battery power when the game was idle.

The game's date has been the subject of some detective work. It was long listed as August 1933 - a date repeated in the Encyclopedia of Pinball - but period advertising places it as new in 1935, with the earliest dated ad appearing in Automatic Age in May 1935. That ad also notes the game operated under a 1931 patent owned by Consolidated Patent Corporation. Though little else is documented about its design or theme, Combination remains an interesting artifact from Harry Williams' formative years.