O<\/span>ne of my favourite places on Earth is the Mus\u00e9e M\u00e9canique on Fisherman\u2019s Wharf in San Francisco. It\u2019s a museum or amusement arcade devoted to the atmospheric world of the antique slot machine. You\u2019re allowed to play with them, and they all work. <\/span><\/p>\n

For a dollar or two, you can test your strength or prowess in love, watch an execution at the hands of the infernal electric chair, play a honky-tonk pianola, \u2018improve your health\u2019 with an electric shock, have your fortune told, or discover \u2018What The Butler Saw\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

These automata are now rather valuable, and early antique examples can fetch thousands of pounds. There\u2019s another wonderful collection at Wookey Hole in Somerset, evoking the faded glories of the Edwardian seaside and said to be the most extensive collection of penny arcade machines in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2018Penny Arcades\u2019 were popular at the beginning of the 20th century, found especially on seaside piers, and were affordable amusements for the working class. Improvements in the railways meant ordinary people could now spend a happy day at the seaside, a privilege previously enjoyed by the wealthier classes. <\/span><\/p>\n
In 1883, Percival Everett invented the first modern coin-operated vending machine. It soon became a popular addition to London\u2019s railway stations and post offices, dispensing postcards, envelopes and writing paper. <\/span><\/p>\n
Simple coin-operated machines had existed before, especially as novelty amusements at fairs and travelling shows but, in 1871, Henry Davidson invented an ingenious machine featuring an animated figure of a chimney sweep, which came to life at the drop of a penny.<\/span><\/p>\n
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