Edison Talking Doll Phonograph with Cylinder Record, 1889
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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
Cylinder phonograph (Phonograph)
Date Made
1889
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
29.1969.30
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Brass (Alloy)
Iron alloy
Mica (Mineral)
Nickel (Metal)
Tin (Metal)
Color
Silver (Color)
Gray (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 7 in
Width: 4 in
Length: 3.5 in
Inscriptions
In pencil on flywheel: H & L
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