[Arun Rath reports on the showcasing of talking dolls made by inventor Thomas Edison in the "American Enterprise" exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History].

Arun Rath reports on the showcasing of talking dolls made by inventor Thomas Edison in the "American Enterprise" exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Includes an earlier report on the Edison dolls by NPR Reporter Neda Ulaby. Recordings made for the dolls, most likely by Edison's female factory workers, are played including the Lord's Prayer and the nursery rhymes Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Little Jack Horner, and Hickory Dickory Dock. Jerry Fabris, curator at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, talks about why the dolls failed as a product, Peter Liebhold, curator of the Smithsonian Museum, highlights the historical significance of the dolls, and Georgetown University horror scholar Caetlin Benson-Allott talks about the fears surrounding talking dolls and why they are so prominent in the horror genre. Includes excerpts from "The Twilight Zone", "Child's Play", and "The Simpsons". On "All Things Considered".

Broadcast 2015 June 13.