
“Futura” -1950s; Gypsy Fortune Teller – 1932. Courtesy SFO Museum
The newest exhibition offered by the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport is about coin-operated machines, which smartly combine mechanical novelty and automated convenience.

Lukat “The Lucky Cat” (1952) dispensed gum and a prize ticket.
“At the drop of a coin, they vended goods, provided entertainment, and offered potential jackpot payouts and free merchandise,” the exhibit notes tell us, while incorporating “decorative graphics and innovative mechanisms that captured the attention of people worldwide.”

‘Whiffs of Fragrance” 1916- dispenses a bit of perfume. Courtesy SFO Museum
Take a look as some of the cool coin-operated machines from the Joe Welch American Antique Museum in San Bruno, California on view for free (no coins necessary) in the pre-security International Terminal Main Hall Departures Lobby at San Francisco International Airport.
“The Automatic Age: Coin Operated Machines is on view from December 16, 2017 through August 5, 2018.
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You are making me feel old. I remember Lukat and Futura.