Edison Talking Doll, 1889-1890
Add to SetSummary
Thomas Edison's 1878 patent for a "phonographic" doll resulted in the production of about 100 "talking" dolls between 1889 and 1890. This doll "talked" by means of a scaled-down phonograph inside its body, which played nursery rhymes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Only made for a short time, the doll's mechanism was unreliable and the recorded voices scared children.
Thomas Edison's 1878 patent for a "phonographic" doll resulted in the production of about 100 "talking" dolls between 1889 and 1890. This doll "talked" by means of a scaled-down phonograph inside its body, which played nursery rhymes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Only made for a short time, the doll's mechanism was unreliable and the recorded voices scared children.
Artifact
Talking doll
Date Made
1889-1890
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.3.9422
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Biscuit (Porcelain, material)
Glass (Material)
Metal
Hair (Material)
Wood (Plant Material)
Rubber (Material)
Wax
Color
Multicolored
Dimensions
Height: 22 in
Width: 7.5 in
Length: 3.25 in
Inscriptions
on back of neck: 12 on wax cylinder: TWINKLE STAR
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