Machine Description

Flying Trapeze was a pioneering pinball machine released by D. Gottlieb & Co. during the golden age of mechanical pinball in the mid-1930s. The machine's circus theme captured the public's imagination during the Great Depression era, when circus entertainment provided much-needed escapism for American audiences.

The game featured innovative mechanical elements for its time, including multiple scoring holes and bumpers arranged to simulate the acrobatic movements of circus performers. The playfield artwork likely depicted trapeze artists in dramatic poses, consistent with the artistic style of 1930s pinball machines. As one of the early successful themed pinball machines, it helped establish the importance of coherent thematic design in pinball gaming.

Flying Trapeze represented a significant step in pinball's evolution from simple bagatelle-style games toward more complex mechanical marvels. It was produced during a crucial period when pinball was establishing itself as a legitimate form of coin-operated entertainment in America, just before the advent of flipper mechanisms that would revolutionize the industry in the late 1940s. While exact production numbers are not readily available, machines from this era were typically manufactured in quantities of several thousand units.