Pee-Wee

Pee-Wee, manufactured by Genco beginning September 11, 1946, is a Pure Mechanical table-top/counter pinball machine of which 141 units are confirmed to have been produced. As an early postwar Genco release, it offers a glimpse into pinball design just before the electromechanical scoring and flipper innovations that would soon transform the industry.

Pee-Wee features a compact playfield measuring approximately 24 inches high, 14 inches wide, and 7 inches deep, with no flippers or electrical components -- balls are launched by a spring-loaded lever and bounce among nails before settling into scoring slots. The playfield instructs players to "line up balls in rotation from left to right," a simple but distinct objective. Interestingly, surviving examples show unused holes and wiring points on the back of the playfield, suggesting Genco may have considered adding electromechanical scoring or lighting that was never implemented.

While detailed records of Pee-Wee's design and theme have not survived, its confirmed production run and documented construction make it a well-understood example of late-1940s mechanical pinball, of interest to collectors and historians studying the transition toward electromechanical machines.