Edison Talking Doll, 1889-1890
01
Artifact Overview
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 Details
Artifact
Talking doll
Date Made
1889-1890
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Made by Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company in New York, New York
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
29.1980.1979
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of the Edison Pioneers.
Material
Composite material
Linen (Material)
Canvas
Plastic
Glass (Material)
Color
Brown
Pink (Color)
Purple
Yellow (Color)
Cream (Color)
Green
Dimensions
Height: 22 in
Width: 7.5 in
Depth: 4.25 in
Inscriptions
Back of head: S12H 719 DEP
Bottom of each shoe: 10
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