Ghostly Voices From Thomas Edison’s Dolls Can Now Be Heard.

Though Robin and Joan Rolfs owned two rare talking dolls manufactured by Thomas Edison’s phonograph company in 1890, they did not dare play the wax cylinder records tucked inside each one.

The Rolfses, longtime collectors of Edison phonographs, knew that if they turned the cranks on the dolls’ backs, the steel phonograph needle might damage or destroy the grooves of the hollow, ring-shaped cylinder. And so for years, the dolls sat side by side inside a display cabinet, bearers of a message from the dawn of sound recording that nobody could hear.

In 1890, Edison’s dolls were a flop; production lasted only six weeks. Children found them difficult to operate and more scary than cuddly. The recordings inside, which featured snippets of nursery rhymes, wore out quickly.

Yet sound historians say the cylinders were the first entertainment records ever made, and the young girls hired to recite the rhymes were the world’s first recording artists.

Year after year, the Rolfses asked experts if there might be a safe way to play the recordings. Then a government laboratory developed a method to play fragile records without touching them.

Recordings
"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star "
"There Was A Little Girl"

NY Times
That last Recording ! Creepy !!!!!!

I recall Reading a Thread Years ago about Scientist being able to pick up recorded audio in old pottery that was being made thousands of years ago ,So as the people were making it they were talking and the wet clay would record their voices .

Don't quote me on that but I recall reading something like that here on ATS maybe a member can search it out !

So what do you think about these recordings ATS ?

Neat eh ?

Kap

Those are some creepy dolls.
On the subject of wax cylinder recordings, this is a cool site.
cylinders.library.ucsb.edu...

a reply to: skunkape23

oh cool Thanks for the link!

Why is your text box so big btw ?

a reply to: Kapusta

one never asks why the box is so big.

On topic, those dolls are creepy, hella creepy!

originally posted by: Kapusta
a reply to: skunkape23

oh cool Thanks for the link

Why is your text box so big btw ?

I have no idea.
Maybe it's because everything is bigger in Texas?
There is some great music on this site.
I feel like Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' when I listen to it for too long.

What if they played the recordings and they said stuff like "I'm going to kill you" or "I'm coming for you."

a reply to: Kapusta
Great, laying in bed I click on the first recording and now I'm afraid to sleep. That govt lab should have just left those dolls in the cabinet where they belong.

I will not be listening to the others.

a reply to: Kapusta

Great Ceases ghost those are scary sounding.. Its like a precursor to the chucky doll.

a reply to: Kapusta

I don't have the player needed to hear the recordings, and prefer not to download it after reading just the initial agreement. Have the records been put up on youtube as yet? Since these were the first entertainment records, and first recording 'stars', they are historically important and should be up on youtube.

originally posted by: Aleister
a reply to: Kapusta

I don't have the player needed to hear the recordings, and prefer not to download it after reading just the initial agreement. Have the records been put up on youtube as yet? Since these were the first entertainment records, and first recording 'stars', they are historically important and should be up on youtube.

huh ? Not sure why it's not letting you listen to it , It's just a direct link to NY times website that host the audio /podcast.

Their should be no agreement to listen to it or DL it . I certainly would not link anything that would require such action .

I am not sure if it's on youtube Ill look for it and see what I can come up with .

Thanks for the notice , Maybe my self and others can help find a solution so that you and others may listen to the Audio .

I have to warn you though , they are a bit creepy

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: Kapusta
Great, laying in bed I click on the first recording and now I'm afraid to sleep. That govt lab should have just left those dolls in the cabinet where they belong.

I will not be listening to the others.

Oh Boy ! don't listen to the last recording eeek that one gave me the creeps !

I didn't want to sleep tonight, anyway!

Unfortunately for Edison Dollworks, the Mark II came out like this...

Jeez, what kid would like to be left alone with a doll that sounded like that?
I'm going to have nightmares now.

a reply to: Kapusta

Very cool and the reason they sound so creapy is to record on wax the person had to scream at the top of their lungs. Meaning they always sound mad lol.

Lol cute sounds.
a reply to: Kapusta

Lol cute.
a reply to: Bedlam

originally posted by: Nochzwei
Lol cute sounds.
a reply to: Kapusta

Lol did you listen to the last one ?

originally posted by: Kapusta

originally posted by: Nochzwei
Lol cute sounds.
a reply to: Kapusta

Lol did you listen to the last one ?

Yes I did, its got lots of static. Cute nonetheless

a reply to: Aleister

I had trouble trying to play them on the website as well. Here is a video of all of them from youtube.





~OkieDokie