Fair Lady

Fair Lady, released by D. Gottlieb & Co. in 1956, represents a classic example of 1950s pinball design during the golden age of electro-mechanical machines. This single-player pinball machine embodied the elegant aesthetic sensibilities of the post-war era, when pinball manufacturers were working to improve the public image of their games and appeal to a broader audience.

The machine's theme and artwork reflected the period's fascination with grace and refinement, featuring sophisticated artwork of an elegant woman that aligned with 1950s ideals of beauty and class. The playfield likely included standard features of the era such as pop bumpers, kickout holes, and rollovers, though it maintained the simpler layout typical of 1950s machines before the introduction of more complex mechanisms in later decades.

As was common for Gottlieb machines of this period, Fair Lady would have utilized relay-based scoring and featured the characteristic Gottlieb chimes that players came to associate with quality pinball manufacturing. The machine was produced during a significant period in pinball history, as manufacturers were working to establish pinball as legitimate entertainment rather than gambling devices, following the lifting of pinball bans in many major cities.

While not one of Gottlieb's most famous titles, Fair Lady represents an important snapshot of mid-1950s pinball design and manufacturing techniques. It helps document the evolution of pinball from earlier simpler games toward the more complex machines that would emerge in the 1960s and beyond.