Elmer

Elmer, produced by T and M Sales Company of Chicago in March 1949, is an interesting artifact of pinball's early flipper era. Rather than an all-new game, Elmer is a conversion of Chicago Coin's 1947 flipperless game 'Kilroy': the manufacturer, which also advertised under the name "M & T Sales Co.," refinished the entire cabinet and updated the game with flippers, which had only been introduced to pinball in late 1947.

Key to Elmer's experience is its 5-ball play for just 5 cents, a pricing that reflects the affordability pinball aimed for in the late 1940s. The game includes two flippers, one pop bumper (which advertisements of the day called a 'bang bumper'), seven passive bumpers, and two kick-out holes. Operators could configure 3- or 5-ball play and choose between Free Play (Replay) or Regular (Novelty Play) operation.

The theme, "Swimming Pools - Women," offers a glimpse into the leisure-oriented imagery common in late-1940s pinball art, though specific intentions remain unclear due to a lack of documentation from the designers or manufacturer regarding Elmer's theme.