I am moving all of my bar billiards notes into a single post. (It previously had bounced around as a sub-category in other posts.)
Bar Billiards
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I had moved Bar Billiards with the Pigeon Hole tables at first, since the template for it arrived around the same time as Pigeon Hole tables were popular. Now it's here on its own. You can see a prior post with a good video on bar billiards.
It apparently came to the UK via Belgium (as Russian Billiards?) circa 1930s, but that's a highly suspect history considering the precursor tables with the same layout and features existed in 1880, and then the trough that returns balls to the front appeared with Klondike Pool.
The game had playfield holes and troughs let the balls roll to the front, making it perfect for a bar where surrounding space was limited. The player always shoots from the front.
It is a 20th century game so I won't be spending much time on it, but I would like to see if there is evidence to better trace the 19th century tables to the present-day bar billiards machines.
It is also lays forth the inspiration for the "totalizer", a key innovation in the development of pinball in 1933.
Are we going to just rest on the story that "bar billiards came from Belgium around 1930" when this existed in the USA in 1872?
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| Jenny Lind table in the 1872 J. M. Brunswick catalog |
This undated photo shows off how compact a bar billiards table can be, especially when compared to the Jenny Lind above. It also highlights the name "Russian Bagatelle" on the sign near the top:
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| photo via |
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| "Bar billiards" on one sign, "Russian Bagatelle" on the other |
Also called "Skittle Billiards". Mahogany colored wood table with faded green felt topper with 9 metal-rimmed holes. Front metal plate reads "Reca/ Brevete/ S.G.D.G. Depose/ Thionville (Moselle)". Includes box of Aramith 1-7/8" billiard balls. Surface of the table is worn and chipped in some spots. Circa 1890's. (Good). 36-1/2"W x 76-1/4"L x 36"T
Another one with holes on the playfield and a score totalizer at the bottom.
Bagatelle game in oak case
A classic bar-billiards table with a robust totalizer at the front:
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| the pins on the playfield here, called "skittles", are not affixed |
1930s oak bagatelle style game board with balls and scoreboard, 76cm in length
The totalizer seems a bit sketch because the balls could potentially be jostled between them.
A very rare vintage bar billiards table.Circa 1930’s, this novelty ‘end of the pier’ bar billiards table will be fully restored.Dimensions 44 inches x 36 inches x 22 1/2 inches
These pictures are small, but they show off an early 1930s table well, including the troughs. One special note here is how the cue system seems mounted akin to a pinball plunger, to prevent people from stealing cues. The pictures are small, but I had to include it for the uniqueness.
more pictures:
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