Lightning (38, New Style)

Lightning (38, New Style) is a rare example of early pinball history. Manufactured by Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) in June 1934 and designed by Harry Williams, this machine is a redesigned follow-up to the original Exhibit 'Lightning', which had been the company's first pin table and first electromechanical (EM) game. The New Style version replaced the earlier upper playfield with a new red playfield, added a new name panel, and used a two-tone cabinet with a diagonal stripe.

Gameplay on Lightning is characteristic of its pre-flipper era: players launch a steel ball via a spring-loaded plunger and score by guiding it among fixed pins, bumpers, and targets on the playfield, with no traditional flippers involved -- those would not be invented until more than a decade later. There is no clear objective or theme beyond basic competition for high scores, typical of early 1930s pinball.

The cabinet was advertised at 38 inches long and 19 inches wide, making it one of the smaller Lightning variants. Artwork and design elements are minimal, as was typical for pre-WWII pinball machines, and little further detail on the specific artwork survives. As a surviving example of Exhibit's early EM lineage, Lightning (38, New Style) offers a glimpse into the evolution of pinball design in its formative years.