Antique Silver King 5 Cent Gum Ball Vending Machine c.1940
ABOUT
An antique 5 cent gum ball machine with hand blown glass globe, red cast iron body, yellow pull lever and original 5 cent decal. "Try Some" is embossed on the metal lid and "5 cents" is on the coin slot. The key unscrews the top to fill the globe with gum balls. Works properly.
- CREATOR Silver King Co.
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DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1940.
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MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Cast Iron, Metal, Chrome, Blown Glass.
- CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
- DIMENSIONS H 14.5 in. W 8 in. D 8 in.
HISTORY
In the early-20th-century, vending machines looked like what most people think of as old-fashioned gumball machines, with claw feet, florid scroll embellishments made of cast iron, and glass globes that showed off their contents and kept the products fresh.
However, the mechanisms that worked these devices were complex and costly to repair. Gumball machines made in the 1920s and 1930s were built using steel construction or finished with porcelain enamel over cast iron, giving the device a durable and attractive appearance, often in a cheerful fire-engine red.
