MISSION STATEMENT
The American Classic Arcade Museum, Inc.,
a 501c3 non-profit corporation registered with the State of New Hampshire,
has been established to promote and preserve the history of coin-operated
arcade games. The museum will cover the industry from its pre-electricity
inception in the early 20th century through the Penny Arcades we all enjoyed
as children and into the economic crash of the arcade industry in the
late 1980’s, an era that predates the existence of so-called “violent”
games.
The arcade industry has a colorful and
lively history that is not being preserved for future generations. Many
manufacturers such as Mike Munves, Chicago Coin, Chester Pollard, Genco,
Gretchen, Photar, Centuri, Taito, Nichibutsu, Midway, Irem, Gottlieb,
Atari, Exidy and many more are no longer in the coin operated game business.
Their history and the games they produced are fading away and need a place
where that legacy can be remembered and preserved.
Some notable facts from arcade history
include David Gottlieb’s invention of the pinball machine in 1931.
His game, Baffle Ball, was a huge hit at the time. In January of 1942,
New York Mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, confiscated 2,325 pinball machines
and had them destroyed saying they were gambling devices. His photo, sledgehammer
in hand, has appeared in many publications over the years. LaGuardia donated
the metal from these destroyed machines to the military to help with the
war against the Nazis.
The directors of this organization have
a combined experience of over 100 years in the arcade industry. Their
experience is the driving force behind the organization and gives it the
knowledge base to make it a success. There is no such museum in existence
at this time that covers the history of coin-operated arcade machines.
The goals of the organization will be
accomplished through the creation of a museum that will house this collection
and other donated antique and classic coin-operated machines all of which
will be available for play. Any income taken in from the games will go
to offset the operating expenses of the museum such as water, electricity,
spare parts, a Curator and other related costs.
The museum will also include written,
audio, video and electronic data containing the history of coin-operated
games and the people who created them.
One of the major goals of the organization
will be keeping alive the history of coin-operated arcade games. This
will be accomplished through educational displays, cut-away models of
games, vintage publications, antique catalogs and guest lectures given
by prominent figures in arcade history. The organization presently has
a large collection of vintage advertising materials and catalogs from
the post WWII era that will also be displayed.
The American Classic Arcade Museum
will be a one of a kind facility that will keep this part of American
history alive for those that experienced it and for those who were too
young to remember.
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