Miss America

The Miss America pinball machine, released by D. Gottlieb & Co. in 1947, embodied the post-World War II optimism and celebration of Americana that characterized the late 1940s. The machine's theme capitalized on the growing popularity of the Miss America pageant, which had become a significant cultural phenomenon during this period.

Featuring classic electro-mechanical components typical of its era, Miss America showcased the artistic and mechanical craftsmanship that defined early pinball design. The playfield likely included the standard features of the time: bumpers, kickers, and rollovers, with scoring achieved through mechanical score reels. The backglass artwork would have featured patriotic imagery and glamorous representations of beauty pageant contestants, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of post-war America.

As one of Gottlieb's early post-war releases, Miss America represented a pivotal moment in pinball history when manufacturers were transitioning from pre-war designs to more sophisticated gameplay mechanisms. The machine helped establish pinball as a legitimate form of entertainment during a time when many cities still maintained pinball bans. While not as mechanically complex as later machines, it helped lay the groundwork for the golden age of electro-mechanical pinball that would follow in the 1950s and 1960s.

While exact production numbers are not readily available, machines from this era were typically manufactured in quantities of several thousand units. Today, Miss America represents a valuable piece of pinball history, sought after by collectors for its historical significance and as an example of early post-war pinball design.