Saudade: Photos of Analog Pinball Machines by Michael Massaia

January 2, 2017

1977 Gottlieb’s Centigrade 37, 2013 by Michael Massaia
1977 Gottlieb’s Centigrade 37, 2013, Toned Silver Gelatin, 22 × 28 in (55.9 x 71.1 cm), 30 × 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm), 40 × 60 in (101.6 x 152.4 cm)
1974 Gottlieb’s Free Fall, 2011 by Michael Massaia
1974 Gottlieb’s Free Fall, 2011, Toned Silver Gelatin, 22 × 28 in (55.9 x 71.1 cm), 30 × 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm), 40 × 60 in (101.6 x 152.4 cm)

Beautiful black and white photos of pinball machines taken throughout New Jersey in the last remaining arcades by fine art photographer Michael Massaia. Entitled Saudade, the series captures pinball machines manufactured by companies such as GottliebBally, and Williams. Massaia has been working on this series for almost 10 years and struggled over the years making the prints stating that “only within the last year have I been able to get the prints to look the way I envisioned when I started capturing them about a decade a go.” The images were shot with a modified 4×5 and 5×7 camera, back and white film, and he hand-makes the final prints as 43×53, 30×40, and 20×24 gold toned gelatin silver contact prints.

“The project was my way of saying goodbye to the quickly shrinking analog world, while at the same time paying homage to the beauty of these last standing machines.”

1963 Gottlieb's Slick Chick by Michael Massaia
1963 Gottlieb’s Slick Chick, Toned Silver Gelatin, 22 × 28 in (55.9 x 71.1 cm), 30 × 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm), 40 × 60 in (101.6 x 152.4 cm)
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