Pacific Pinball Museum

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Museum Overview[]

Pacific Pinball Museum
Pinball 3web.jpg
The Majorettes pinball machine at the Pacific Pinball Museum
Pacific Pinball Museum is located in the United States
Pacific Pinball Museum
Location of Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda
Established2004 (2004)
LocationAlameda, California, USA
Coordinates37°46′25″N 122°16′36″W / 37.773738°N 122.276583°W / 37.773738; -122.276583
TypePinball machines
DirectorMichael Schiess
Websitepacificpinball.org

The Pacific Pinball Museum is a Board Managed and certified 501 C(3) nonprofit interactive museum/arcade offering a chronological and historical selection of rare bagatelles and early pinball games in addition to over 90 playable pinball machines ranging in era from the 1940s to present day located on Webster Street in Alameda, CA.

Throughout the museum are hand-painted murals, vintage Jukeboxes, educational handouts and rotating focused exhibits. There are also provisions for field-trips, self guided tours, educated docents and STEAM educational programs as part of the museum's "Play & Learn" philosophy.

Mission Statement[]

To inspire an interest in science, art and history through pinball, and to preserve and promote this important part of American culture.

History[]

The visible pinball machine, co-created by museum owner Michael Schiess based on the pinball machine Surf Champ by Gottlieb from 1976

The museum was founded in 2004 by Michael Schiess, a former museum exhibition designer. Schiess started collecting pinball machines in 2001.[1] He decided to open his own museum after being unimpressed with the coverage of pinball history at other museums.[2] One of his first major acquisitions was thirty-six machines in one purchase. Fourteen of them were installed in a rented buildings rear parking lot facing room, which Schiess called "Lucky Ju Ju", in Alameda and a jar was placed out for donations. In 2004 the facility grew and became a nonprofit, renaming itself the Pacific Pinball Museum. The museum expanded in 2009 to display forty woodrail and wedge head machines from the collection of Larry Zartarian.[3] The museum has a gift shop that sells pinball themed merchandise.[4]

Collection[]

The museum's exhibitions include approximately ninety pinball machines ranging from 1879 until today.[5] They are arranged in chronological order.[3] In total, the museums collection comprises over 800 machines. Those not on display are maintained at the 8,000-square-foot Pacific Pinball Annex nearby.[1] Upon paying the admission fee, visitors can play any of the machines on display for the day with unlimited in and out privilege's to take breaks and get food nearby.[5][6] The oldest machine on display, from 1879, is a Montague Redgrave Parlor Bagatelle. Contemporary machines include The Addams Family and the Twilight Zone. The museum also has a transparent pinball machine from 1976 that was built by Schiess and Wade Krause. It is based on the Gottlieb "Surf Champ" game.[7] One of the most valued pieces in the collection is a mid 1930s-era Art Deco machine called the Bally Bumper. The machine was seized by police in Oakland during a gambling crackdown. The museum's collection has also been displayed at San Francisco International Airport.[3]

Panorama of Pacific Pinball Museums History Room

Exhibits[]

In addition to the playable games, the museum also maintains a permanent exhibit of early bagatelles and pinball machines from 1879 to the late 1930’s showing the evolution of the game over time as well as special curated rotating exhibits. All legacy exhibits are available on the museums website for perusal.

  • Pointy People Current exhibit from August 21, 2020 - Present Taking on a new aesthetic in the mid 1960's, the style referred to as Pointy People is characterized by angular, abstracted figures. A stark contrast to the older more realistic style that dominated pinball art since the 1940’s.
  • The Art of Arthur Stenholm May 25, 2017 - March 13, 2020 Beginning in 1964, Arthur "Art" Stenholm created amazing pinball game artwork for Williams, Gottlieb, and Bally for decades. Steinholm's art is distinct especially when it comes to his portrayal of women in pinball art as strong, empowering active participants.
  • Gambling, Amusement, or Both? Current exhibit from March 1, 2019 to Present This exhibit explores the history of pinball, its roots in gambling and adult-oriented entertainment, and the social forces surrounding its explosive rise in popularity.
  • Pinball Style July 2, 2010 - August 1, 2010 Pinball Style: Drama and Design is an exhibition with commentary on clothing styles in pinball art from the 1940’s through the 2000’s. Curator Melissa Harmon looks at dramatic and historical context with a touch of fashion police humor.

Traveling Exhibitions[]

The Pacific Pinball Museums machines, backglass murals, and educational exhibits have made appearances in museums and galleries around the world. A few notable places the collection has traveled are:

  • The Art and Science of Pinball Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland, CA 2017
  • Pinball! An Exhibition of Vintage Pinball Machines Museum of American Heritage, Palo Alto, CA:  2016
  • Ausgeflippt! Phaeno Museum, Wolfsburg, Germany: 2015
  • Permanent Exhibition: Transparent Pinball Machine Exploratorium, San Francisco: 2012 - Present
  • From Bagatelle to Twilight Zone San Francisco Airport Museum: 2009, 2010

Self Guided Tours[]

The museum maintains several self guided tour handouts to compliment its educated docents. These laminated handouts are available for patrons to carry throughout the exhibit rooms and include:

  • Visual Art in Pinball
  • Physics in Pinball
  • Target Identification
  • Pinball Glossary
  • The Three Pinball Eras: What are they?
  • Historical Game Collection
  • Landmark Pinball Games
  • Pinball Origins

Mural Program[]

The Pacific Pinball Mural Program was born when local Bay Area artist Dan Fontes reproduced the “Majorettes” backglass in large-scale form for the Pacific Pinball Exposition at the Marin County Civic Center in 2007. Since then, professional artists Ed Cassel, d’Arci Bruno and Eric J. Kos joined the mural team, and together they have produced over 30 large-scale interpretations of some of the finest works in pinball history. In August of 2012, the Pacific Pinball Museums muralists received a matching grant from the East Bay Community Foundation, a permanent endowment of charitable funds dedicated to improving the human condition in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The murals are hand painted on medium weight quality canvas with artist grade latex paints, and represent hundreds of hours of work. Most measure approximately 10’ X 10’ square, and are priced by the artists. All sale proceeds benefit the artist and the museum. Those interested in purchasing murals can contact the museum for more information.

Backglass Preservation Project[]

During the 15month Pandemic shutdown, the Pacific Pinball Museum embarked on a historical cataloging and preservation project to bring the museum's collection to patrons virtually. A massive undertaking of photographing each machine in the collection (over 1000 games), and capturing the artwork of many rare machines in studio quality high resolution. The goal is to provide these images as a resource for both pinball fans and academic scholars alike. The Pacific Pinball Museum believes that pinball artwork can educate patrons about American history and culture, and feels that it’s so important to preserve and share our collection with the public - especially when hands-on play is hard to come by. A sample of the progress is available on the museum’s website searchable by keywords, game title, manufacturer or production year.

Pacific Pinball League[]

The museum hosts the Pacific Pinball League on Wednesday nights beginning at 6:30PM. There are four seasons per year (with 10 weeks total per season ). Attending a minimum of three of eight regular weeks qualifies a player for Finals. League start dates are announced on the website, Pacific Pinball Social Media Accounts and the Pacific Pinball League Facebook page. Prospective players can join by coming to any league night, and the league is open to all ages and skill levels, even first-timers. Veteran players are available to show new players the basics and even some advanced skills. Players who compete in the Finals will have a World Pinball Player ranking.

Museum Financing[]

The bulk of the Pacific Pinball Museums financing comes from patron admissions, with surplus pinball machine sales and individual donations making up the remainder of the operating income. The museum is certified by Benevity, and Gold Rated on Guidestar.

Organizational Overview[]

The Pacific Pinball Museum is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Michael Schiess and Melissa Harmon. Michael Schiess is the current Executive Director. The Program Director is the sole full time staff member, and runs the day-to-day operations of the pinball museum with the help of seven other part-time staff members. To augment museum staff, there is a two to six-month paid internship program for high school students. There is also a rotating cast of twenty to fifty volunteers who regularly assist with game maintenance and running special events. The museum has an elected Board of Directors to oversee the direction and vision of the organization, with all board members having long-standing relationships with the museum, and many of them being former staff members.

Current Managing Board[]

  • Michael Schiess is a pinball repair expert and a noted chronicler of pinballs evolution through the decades. He is also a museum exhibit designer, filmmaker, and musician. He founded the Pacific Pinball Museum as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2004 and has served for over a decade as the museum’s Executive Director.
  • Melissa Harmon co-founded the Pacific Pinball Museum with Michael Schiess and managed the museum from 2008 until 2015. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as the museum’s Curator. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from UC-Berkeley (1985).
  • Larry Zartarian has been a member of the Board of Directors for twelve years; for seven of those years, he was the President and Chairman. He received a BA in Philosophy from San Francisco State University in 1980 and subsequently completed coursework toward a Master’s in Philosophy. He has worked in wealth management for decades, and currently serves as a Portfolio Manager and Principal for 1919 Investment Counsel.
  • Jim Strehlow serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary and Treasurer, and has authored many of the informative placards above the museum’s pinball machines. He is the grandson of Robert C. Strehlow, Sr., who promoted Alameda’s famed Neptune Beach amusement park in the 1920s. Jim attended UC-Berkeley until he embarked on a career in computers in 1975.
  • Dan Fontes has served on the PPM’s Board of Directors for seven years. Dan received his BA in Fine Art from Cal State Hayward in 1981, and since then has gone on to become one of the Bay Area’s most prolific muralists; he is probably best known for his giraffe murals beneath the 580 freeway at Oakland Avenue in Oakland.
  • Jem Gruber has been involved with the Pacific Pinball Museum since it began, and now serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He served for a decade as the PPM’s “Friday night guy,” and has been pleased to see how the museum has developed into a community-based nonprofit that serves an important cultural purpose.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Wright, Andy (16 July 2011). "Pacific Pinball Museum". New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  2. ^ SF Bay Area's Pacific Pinball Museum, 19 July 2011 by David Pescovitz, BoingBoing
  3. ^ a b c Kos, Eric J. (19 November 2009). "Pacific Pinball Museum Opens". Alameda Sun. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  4. ^ Santi, Dave. "PACIFIC PINBALL MUSEUM". Pinball News. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  5. ^ a b Khalil, Laura. "Pacific Pinball Museum Scores High Marks". Quest. KQED. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  6. ^ Northern California. Heathrow, Florida: AAA Publishing. 2012. p. 43.
  7. ^ http://pacificpinball.org/pinball-machines/surf-champ-visible-pin

External links[]

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