About the Editor
Arthur Vance publishes Drum & Mask from Melbourne. We study industrial design. We examine historical hardware. We built this site to record mechanical lineage properly. The gaming industry hides its physical history. Operators replace older machines quickly. We document the evolution of the machine instead. We map the social spaces of play. The modern casino obscures its own past. We trace the lineage from private back rooms to state-sanctioned halls.
Physical Limits
We investigate the first American gaming devices. Charles Fey constructed the Liberty Bell in San Francisco. He finished this iconic mechanical invention in 1895. The device showcased several core elements. - Three rotating reels - Five distinct symbols Fey never bothered to patent his creation! Rival manufacturers freely duplicated the unprotected design. The three-reel configuration spread quickly across the country. Early devices avoided distributing physical coins. Cash rewards broke the law in many regions. Victorious players earned alternative goods instead. - Refreshing beverages - Chewing gum packets The Bell-Fruit Gum Company inspired the classic bar symbol. Physical drums severely restrict the available stops. Video screens eventually eliminated this physical boundary. Modern multi-line pokies depend entirely on that visual leap.
Absolute Independence
We do not represent any venue or operator. We prefer concrete facts over marketing language. We avoid promotional embellishment entirely. Industry press releases offer very little substance. We look for patents and technical diagrams instead. We measure the physical limits of old hardware. We update our material systematically. We believe proper reference material requires independence!
Historical Focus Areas
We list our primary research focus areas below. We divide our historical research into distinct streams. We rely on primary documents and surviving hardware.
- The European origins of the public casino and state regulation
- The architecture of early Venetian ridotti and the social function of masks
- The electromechanical transition in mid-century American gaming machines
- The transformation of bankrupt principalities into revenue states
We trace the Ridotto back to 1638. The Venetian government established this famous venue. They repurposed rooms within the Palazzo Dandolo. Authorities valued strict regulation over pure profit. Unregulated betting had previously plagued the entire city. The Ridotto centralized games in a supervised space. Guests always wore specific items of carnival attire. - Traditional tricorn hats - Concealing facial masks This standard uniform completely eliminated social hierarchies! Discretion essentially became a structural architectural feature. We know the Italian word casino implies a small house. The term initially described a private socializing apartment.
Research Monographs
We publish detailed technical papers. We dispatch them from our Melbourne office. We charge a nominal fee to cover printing. All prices include GST.
- $12
The Electromechanical Hopper (1963)
Bally Money Honey and bottomless payouts
- $9
San Francisco Copies
Liberty Bell mechanics and symbol evolution
- $15
Bankrupt Principality to Revenue State
Francois Blanc in 1863 Monte Carlo
- $14
Masks and Rank
18th-Century Venice and the Palazzo Dandolo