Edison Talking Doll Phonograph and Cylinder Recording of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," 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
Cylinder phonograph (Phonograph)
Date Made
1890
Creators
Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company
Place of Creation
United States, New York, New York
Creator Notes
Made by Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company in New York, New York
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.3.9422.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Brass (Alloy)
Iron alloy
Mica (Mineral)
Nickel (Metal)
Wax
Dimensions
Height: 7 in
Width: 3.5 in
Length: 4 in
Inscriptions
inscribed on wax cylinder: Twinkle Star
Share Anywhere
Use this Artifact Card to share this great find with others. From historic images to vivid descriptions, a record of rich detail is bundled inside a single card.
