Vending machine art

November 9, 2014 1:39 PM

I don't appear to have the vocabulary for this question, because my Google-fu has failed utterly. I'm interested in vending machines of the 1960s (and maybe early '70s).

Back when I was on a junior bowling league (let's call it 1969-71), the bowling alley had a candy dispensing machine and a soft drinks dispenser. The soft drinks machine would, after you made a selection, drop a cup into place behind a plastic shield, fill the cup with the beverage chosen, and then raise the shield.

These machines -- and some jukeboxes of the era, as well -- bore the most intricate designs. Long squiggly lines broken up here and there by a starburst. Geometric patterns nestled within other larger ones. That sort of thing. The art captivated the younger me and I'm still interested.

If you know what I'm talking about, can you guide me to some online resources where I can see these kinds of designs and learn a little about them?

posted by bryon to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

Best answer: Try searching for "Googie" (which is architecture, but might lead you to similar designs/graphics) or "retro" or even try looking for auctions -- they may have information about the art/design and the provenance.

Happy hunting!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 2:05 PM on November 9, 2014 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Yes, psho, that's the design ethic I'm looking for. Here are one, two, three small examples I found during a Googie search. This kind of stuff was all over the machines. Again, much of what I recall seeing was painstakingly intricate. I haven't found that yet, but this is absolutely the search term I needed. Thanks!
posted by bryon at 3:26 PM on November 9, 2014

Designs similar to those you want were often used in Formica or Micarta counter-top laminates in the mis-century. Try Googling Images for Formica Samples.
posted by Cranberry at 3:45 PM on November 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: This and this are good examples of what I was thinking of. Precise, tiny patterns running impossibly on forever across the joy-giving machines of my younger days.

Thanks, psho and Cranberry. I'm a happier person for knowing about this.
posted by bryon at 10:35 PM on November 10, 2014