Post by DollyPrince on Mar 15, 2016 4:27:02 GMT -7
Everyone, meet Teddy Ruxpin's great-grandmother.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=LTF1P_Mc5Vw
This is a phonograph (or gramophone) doll. With interchangeable cylinders, she can recite many different nursery rhymes and sing songs. The one in above video is Bebe Phonographe, a collaboration between Jumeau doll-maker and Lioret gramophone company. Unlike her fragile predecessor, the Edison doll, she was successful and is therefore slightly easier to find.
There were many other similar dolls made in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
One of them, is the Averill doll (the most common of which were sold as Madame Hendren, Mae Starr, and Dolly Reckord). She is the most common cylinder talking doll, and my personal favourite. She has always been my most wanted doll..
m.youtube.com/watch?v=YyKMTVvEzKI
Later in the 20th century (1930s+), toy companies switched from celluloid cylinders to miniature disk records. This format continued to be used even in Teddy Ruxpin's time. It was also used in pull-string talking toys. In Japan, there was the Ozen mechanism which was a simple battery operated record player for use in toys. Many dolls and toys all over the world used this mechanism!
Some dolls by this time, were using reel-to-reel tape. But since it could not be replaced and wore down easily, tape was not used widely until Teddy Ruxpin was invented.
And, Teddy Ruxpin is actually not the world's first animated talking toy!
In Japan, there was "Margaret-chan" in 1970's. She can walk, and had interchangeable records!
More impressive is Mattel's Baby See n Say, made in the 1960s, could move her eyes and mouth in a similar fashion to Playmates Cricket. She was a pull-string talker.
But she wasn't the first either! Arnoldia, made around the same time as Bebe Phonographe, could move her eyes and arms while speaking. She is the first animated talking toy! However, she was later released in a version with no animation. She is the most fascinating early talking doll. Her cylinders appear to run longer than any others I have seen.
I hope you enjoyed and learned a lot! I have been researching this history for many years now, and am happy to share this information!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=LTF1P_Mc5Vw
This is a phonograph (or gramophone) doll. With interchangeable cylinders, she can recite many different nursery rhymes and sing songs. The one in above video is Bebe Phonographe, a collaboration between Jumeau doll-maker and Lioret gramophone company. Unlike her fragile predecessor, the Edison doll, she was successful and is therefore slightly easier to find.
There were many other similar dolls made in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
One of them, is the Averill doll (the most common of which were sold as Madame Hendren, Mae Starr, and Dolly Reckord). She is the most common cylinder talking doll, and my personal favourite. She has always been my most wanted doll..
m.youtube.com/watch?v=YyKMTVvEzKI
Later in the 20th century (1930s+), toy companies switched from celluloid cylinders to miniature disk records. This format continued to be used even in Teddy Ruxpin's time. It was also used in pull-string talking toys. In Japan, there was the Ozen mechanism which was a simple battery operated record player for use in toys. Many dolls and toys all over the world used this mechanism!
Some dolls by this time, were using reel-to-reel tape. But since it could not be replaced and wore down easily, tape was not used widely until Teddy Ruxpin was invented.
And, Teddy Ruxpin is actually not the world's first animated talking toy!
In Japan, there was "Margaret-chan" in 1970's. She can walk, and had interchangeable records!
More impressive is Mattel's Baby See n Say, made in the 1960s, could move her eyes and mouth in a similar fashion to Playmates Cricket. She was a pull-string talker.
But she wasn't the first either! Arnoldia, made around the same time as Bebe Phonographe, could move her eyes and arms while speaking. She is the first animated talking toy! However, she was later released in a version with no animation. She is the most fascinating early talking doll. Her cylinders appear to run longer than any others I have seen.
I hope you enjoyed and learned a lot! I have been researching this history for many years now, and am happy to share this information!
