Edison Phonograph Doll, c. 1890

With bisque head impressed "224" for Bahr and Proschild, open mouth, brown glass eyes, brown hair wig, straight-wrist jointed composition body, tin torso with pierced grill in chest and removable back door, in brown taffeta costume, ht. 22 in. - Note: Talking dolls were manufactured by the Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company, formed late in 1887. The first sample dolls appeared in August 1889 but serious production started only in January 1890. The dolls were not a success commercially. Not only were the mechanisms inaccessible for repair, but there is no indication that replacement cylinders could be purchased once the original wore out. After production had ceased, Edison is credited as saying that "the voices of the little monsters (were) exceedingly unpleasant to hear". The dolls were withdrawn from sale at the end of April 1890, the mechanisms removed and the bodies sold off.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)