Vintage Oak Brand Gumball Vending Machine c.1950
ABOUT
A mid-century gumball Oak Manufacturing Company vending machine, likely a model from the Acorn series produced in the 1950s or 1960s. Features a red steel base, a rectangular acrylic display area, original acorn label and a chrome coin mechanism set to 10¢. The original key opens the top allowing gumballs to be added. Drop in a dime, turn the handle and it dispenses properly.
- CREATOR Oak Manufacturing Company.
- DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1950-1960.
- MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Steel, Metal, Chrome, Plastic.
- CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Chrome flaking on handle.
- DIMENSIONS H 17 in. W 6.5 in. D 6.5 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.
