1942 Bowling Alley

The 1942 Bowling Alley is a converted game produced by Glickman Industries of Philadelphia, based on Gottlieb's 1939 original 'Bowling Alley'. Rather than an original design, Glickman purchased existing Bowling Alley machines from operators, then updated them with a new backglass, new bumpers, and a repainted cabinet -- by mid-1943 they sold this update only as a conversion kit, letting operators order just the backglass and new plastic bumpers to refresh their existing game. It is a flipperless, electro-mechanical bowling-themed machine dating to March 1942.

As a flipperless EM game, play on the 1942 Bowling Alley relies on relays and switches rather than flipper skill, with players aiming to score by rolling or shooting balls at bowling-themed targets, in keeping with the mechanics of the original 1939 Gottlieb game it was based on.

The 1942 Bowling Alley's bowling-themed cabinet and backglass art reflect the period's amusement aesthetic. While not much is known about the specific artist, this machine remains an interesting example of how operators and small companies like Glickman extended the life of existing games during the early 1940s rather than investing in wholly new designs.