This is another work-in-progress post so I can keep a visual log of the different bagatelle styles and bits of information I find. The "history of pinball" didn't start here. Bagatelle was just another note in the history of aristocratic gaming that goes back hundreds and thousands of years throughout humanity. But this is a good jumping off point because around the time of bagatelle is when international trading really picked up the pace, and we can start tracing cultural exchanges from countries around the globe.
There are a few general styles: The most common is the style of bagatelle that also became "Japanese Rolling Ball" (with a few differences,) where you have an arrangement of 9 pockets at one end. Board is not slanted. It is flat like a billiards table. These all seems to be European here, and would be played with a cue with a mace (cue with a paddle on the end,) or with a traditional-style pool cue.
The main difference of Japanese Rolling Ball is that the balls would be rolled by hand. And the few examples I've seen have 10 holes arranged more in a grid fashion.
A few here have an accessory to add gates to the playfield. These variants will be lumped in here. It wouldn't take much to convert a table like this in to a Pigeon Hole table.
The game from here went in a few branches. Extra holes added at the ends. Holes that led to troughs for scoring. Playfield obstacles added. Loose pins added to the playfield. Fixed pins added to the playfield.
What truly marks the beginning of innovation that would lead to modern pinball is when they decided to slant the playing field. We will get to those in a second posts.
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| 1860 9-hole English bagatelle as seen at Pinball Expo 2024 |
For now, let's look at pretty bagatelle pictures:
(above and below)
"restored 19th century Rosewood Bagatelle games table"Height: 78cmWidth: 242cmDepth: 72cm
"19TH CENTURY MAHOGANY BAGATELLE PARLOR GAME ON FITTED MAHOGANY FRAME"
ebay
Regency brass inlaid calamander bagatelle table, Early 19th c., England, attrib. to George Oakley, hinged top opening to green baize covered playing surface, trestle base with rosette-mounted scroll feet, 30.75"h x 21"w x 14"d
Provenance: Palmetto Hall: The Jay P. Altmayer Family Collection
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Antique Bleached Mahogany Bagatelle Table/Stand
19" high, 23" wide, 43" long. Provenance: Shagbark Farm, Main Residence, Washington CT.
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A George III Mahogany Bagatelle Table
Early 19th Century
Height 22 x width 42 x depth 23 inches.
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French Bagatelle table. Includes balls and cue sticks. 48" x 27 1/2" x 39" closed, 8' x 27 1/2" x 39 1/4" open.
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Victorian Scottish Made Folding Mahogany Bagatelle Pub Game Table, with crossbanded edge, brass lock escutcheon (no key), felted interior, set on a mahogany square legged stand, with plate for maker Geo. Austin, Glasgow, 18 3/4" high, 48" x 24 3/4". Losses to crossbanding, usage wear to felt surface
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Bagatelle Game Table On Custom Stand, C. 1840
History: Old English or Victorian Bagatelle, is believed to date back to the early 19th century.
23.5 x 48 x 29"
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William IV Bagatelle Game
mid 19th century, mahogany with mahogany veneers, the bagatelle board opens to reveal green felt playing surface with ivory balls, on a custom period base with bold turned legs.
Closed 37.5 x 45 x 26 in.; Open 90 in.
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Antique Bagatelle Pin Ball Game
circa 1900.
4 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.
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| WHAT IS THIS THING? I must know. It looks like a vibrator that would be prescribed to Victorian women for their "hysteria" |
Large Folding La Bagatelle Wooden Game Set
Measures 95.5" long total x 24.75" wide. Closed measures 47.5"
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This game features 2 playfield bumpers, a feature you don't really see in other bagatelles. The wood in the center of the playfield is removed for play. It's there for the structure of the table, when it is folded.
French bagatelle table on turned leg farmhouse base
37.5"h x 30"w x 54"l closed (108"open)
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Antique 19th C Bagatelle Tabletop Parlor Game. Size: Opened: 4.5" H x 28" W x 96" D
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I am posting this one because I like how it is unrestored and shows typical wear.
Continental folding bagatelle table
Late19th Century
mahogany, brass, felt
96 w x 25.5 d x 19.5 h inches
Table measures: 48.5 w x 25.5 d x 22 h inches when folded for storage.
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A Victorian Bagatelle board, the solid mahogany hinged case fitted with a carrying handle and opening to a baize lined interior fitted with numbered pockets, complete with all nine original game balls, wooden cue and retriever, wear to baize lining, case exterior. England, circa 1870. Dimensions, 5.5" h x 24" W x 42" long (84" open).
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Bagatelle pool table, full standard size, mahogany, late 1800's, additional bridge-style insert for playing another old billiard game, complete w/original 4 white, 4 red & 1 black ball, Exc. restored condition, 20"W x 72"L when opened for play.
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This one shows a loose wooden gate with 8 different openings, perhaps for playing a variant.
Child's "Bagatelle" pool table, late 1800's w/walnut case, a Very Rare table w/all the original ivory scorekeeping pegs, all ivory balls cups, 9 tiny ivory balls & 2 original walnut "mace" style cues, a real museum piece in Mint condition, 30"L x 13.5"W (opened).
19th c. Mahogany box with green felt lining, including 4 red, 4 white and 1 black ball and a cue stick. D open: 94 x 24 1/2 in.
VICTORIAN MAHOGANY BAGATELLE GAME TABLE: Bagatelle opens to reveal green felt playing surface, ivory balls and 2 cues. On a later added base with turned legs and castors. 34'' h. x 29 3/4'' x 16 1/2''.
19TH C ENGLISH BAGATELLE GAME, IVORY LABELREADS L. W. GAMAGE, LTD., HOLBORN, LONDON, E. O. 2 PART MAHOGANY CASE AND STAND. TOP FOLDING, MAHOGANY CASE WITH FELT SURFACE. 8 BALLS AND CUE STICK, GOOD CONDITION. 34" HIGH, 22" WIDE, 82 3/4" LONG.
VICTORIAN MAHOGANY CASE BAGATELLEIrish. Circa 1850. By Austin, Dublin. The hinged top opening to the felt lined playingsurface, raised on an associated table base. Length of case 54" (closed) Width 32".Overall height 37 1/2".
A. W. Gamage of London Bagatelle Table1 drawer, X stretcher. 37" W X 20" D X 18" H. As is.
A Victorian folding bagatelle and table comprising 8 stained ivory balls, 3 ash, cues bone markers, numbered bridge section and (? rake) 30" wide x 108"
English, late 19th C., on stand of a later date. 19"h x 4'1"w x 26"d
By Davies London. Early 19th century. Stamped DAVIES + Davies Manufacturer London. Approx. 34" H x 21 3/4" W x 42" L. Extended approx. 84" L. (6021)
An Empire bagatelle game table on stand 19th century having a flip top opening to the playing surface with red and white balls and rising on turned legs 40"h x 42"w x 20.5"d
Early 20th c. Bagatelle Game in folding mahogany case, with felted playing surface, gallery, stick and set of balls in chipboard box with label. 5" x 36" x 30" when folded. Fair condition.
British, 19th century, mahogany folding case with green felt interior, four red balls, eight white balls, one black ball, two cue sticks, 5 x 41-1/2 x 20 in. closed
The following are from the 1872 Brunswick Billiards sale catalogue:
Méridional De BagatelleLa plupart du temps connu à Coventry et à Bristol et est joué sur les tables qui sont habituellement plus grandes à 10 x 3 pieds et comportent deux poches latérales environ trois quarts de la manière vers le haut de chaque côté. Il y a sept boules blanches et deux boules rouges avec les deux rouges commenant sur des taches situées de chaque côté de la table juste devant les tasses. Jeu Pour jouer la sélection les boules sont placées sur place à l'avant de la table et ont puis joué vers le haut de la table vers les tasses. Avant chaque course, le joueur doit nommer la tasse ou la poche que he/she prévoit pour viser. Si une boule rouge est sur la table, alors la boule de sélection doit heurter une boule rouge et elle doit heurter un avant d'entrer dans une tasse ou frapper une autre boule. Une fois que les deux boules rouges sont mises en pot, chaque boule de sélection doit heurter une autre boule blanche cependant, s'il n'y a aucune boule un-mise en pot sur la table, et alors la boule de sélection doit heurter un coussin. Le forfait pour non suivant ce régime est 5 points pour la course offensante avec toutes les boules mises en pot pendant une telle course sont enlevés pour le reste de ce tour. Si une boule glisse dans une tasse ou la poche qui n'a pas été nommée les points est renoncée à l'adversaire. Les poches comptent pour 10 points et les rouges comptent le double avec le jeu étant premier à 121. Bagatelle De Parlour/Childrens Oui les enfants obtiennent à jeu ce jeu aussi, les différents fabricants ont proposé toute la faon des dispositions et des possibilités de marquage pour le jeu mais dans tous les cas, il y a un ensemble de boules en acier habituellement 10 qui sont propulsées, alternativement, vers le haut du descendeur du côté droit et dans le terrain de jeux. Une sélection minuscule est employée pour tirer les boules vers le haut du canal mais les variétés modernes comportent souvent un plongeur jailli à la place avec l'idée de débarquer les boules dans des secteurs de marquage délimités par des ongles réglés dans le conseil. Les points sont indiqués dans chaque réceptacle de marquage et si une boule tombe au fond du terrain de jeux, il ne marque pas. Les joueurs prennent des tours pour jouer l'ensemble de boules et le joueur avec les plus hauts points gagne. Le Mississippi Ce jeu est légèrement différent, car il est joué sur une table de bagatelle sans poches mais avec un ensemble de vožtes numérotées qui enjambent la table à travers sa largeur juste devant le cercle des tasses. Les vožtes peuvent changer mais un arrangement typique serait 6-4-1-7-8-2-5-3 avec ces nombres donnant les points comme les boules traversent la vožte. Le jeu est joué avec neuf boules de n'importe quelle couleur et tout nombre de joueurs avec le joueur qui fait les plus hauts points dans 9 boules gagne.Southern BagatelleMostly known in Coventry and Bristol and is played on tables which are usually larger at 10 x 3 feet and feature two side pockets about three quarters of the way up on each side. There are seven white balls and two red balls with the two red ones starting on spots on either side of the table just in front of the cups. Play To play cue the balls are placed in place at the front of the table and then played up the table towards the cups. Before each run, the player must name the cup or pocket he/she intends to aim for. If a red ball is on the table, then the cue ball must hit a red ball and it must hit one before entering a cup or hitting another ball. Once the two red balls are potted, each cue ball must hit another white ball however, if there is no un-potted ball on the table, and then the cue ball must hit a pillow. The forfeit for not following this scheme is 5 points for the offensive run with all balls potted during such a run are removed for the remainder of that round. If a ball slips into a cup or pocket that has not been named the score is forfeited to the opponent. Pockets count for 10 points and Reds count double with the game being first at 121. Trivia Of Parlor/Childrens Yes the kids get to game this game too, different manufacturers have come up with all manner of layouts and possibilities of marking for the game but in any case, there is a set of usually 10 steel balls which are propelled, alternately, up the chute on the right side and into the playing field. A tiny pick is used to shoot the balls up the channel but modern varieties often feature a sprung plunger instead with the idea of landing the balls in scoring areas demarcated by nails set into the board. Points are indicated in each scoring receptacle and if a ball falls to the bottom of the playing field, it does not score. Players take turns to play the set of balls and the player with the highest score wins. Mississippi This game is slightly different, as it is played on a bagatelle table with no pockets but with a set of numbered arches that span the table across its width just in front of the circle of cups. Vaults can vary but a typical arrangement would be 6-4-1-7-8-2-5-3 with these numbers giving the score as the balls pass through the vault. The game is played with nine balls of any color and any number of players with the player who makes the highest score in 9 balls wins.
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| the classic political cartoon showing Lincoln playing bagatelle |
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