Issue 52 February 2026

How three sisters revolutionized England’s penny arcades and amassed a small fortune with their morbid “working models.” 4 Miniature Time Traveller In the Abbey House Museum in Leeds, England there is a display of old arcade machines. Among them is a 1934 glass - fronted automaton. The diorama replicates a museum in miniature. Tiny artifacts and treasures pack display cases. In the room is a small crimson sarcophagus. But most captivating is the small corpse, slumped in a chair, staring blindly out of the scene. The title of the diorama is “Murder in the Museum”. Drop in an old English penny and you will see the scene come to life. In the scene a detective is watching people in the room. A couple talk quietly together. A woman is fishing in her handbag. Suddenly, the lid of the sarcophagus swings open and the murderer appears, armed with a pistol. A single shot rings out. The detective who fortunately had his gun concealed behind his hat all the time, fires first. The villain, fatally wounded, falls back into the sarcophagus. The lid slams shut. Then as quickly as it all started, the whirring machinery stops and — the case is solved. This diorama is one of around 50 arcade machines know as ‘working models’ that were displayed on the upper floors of Blackpool Tower. This opened in the late 1800s. Before the age of television and movies these moving scenes fascinated people and were a great attraction in Blackpool. Who made them? Almost forgotten, three talented sisters handcrafted them. Their work was unique. Dedicated collectors are now helping to rescue and restore any of these surviving machines that they find. Their father, Mr. Dennison had a penny arcade in Blackpool and developed a lot of coin operated displays to entertain visitors. After his death the girls stepped in.