Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011
Chatty Cathy
This groundbreaking Mattel doll, created in 1959, could speak 11 phrases when its "chatty ring" was activated with a pull of the string on its back. Inside the doll's stomach was a lo-fi phonograph record activated by a metal coil wound around a pulley. When triggered, Chatty Cathy would say things like "Let's play school" and "I love you" — a revolutionary technology for the toy industry. The original version of the doll had blue eyes and blond hair; a few years after its release, brunette and African-American versions were released.