Phonoland

I just saw on another forum a doll with a berliner gramophone in it.I did not know or even hear of such a thing.Anyone know what it's about??.

That was one of several early talking dolls, produced during the period of the late 1890s/early 1900s, incorporating a small talking machine or phonograph; normally powered by turning a crank. There's a brief summary on this page, describing models manufactured by various companies, including the Berliner Talking Doll --

SEE: http://www.intertique.com/ArticulateDoll.htm

Needless to say, many of these are EXTREMELY RARE today.

The same basic technology -- a small record played by a stylus connected to diaphragm -- was used for the talking dolls produced in later decades. More contemporary examples--from the late 1950s onward--used a pull-string spring-powered motor. Probably the most famous example, in the US, is "Chatty Cathy" -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatty_Cathy

While small, battery operated (digital) voice boxes have replaced the all mechanical mechanisms in modern talking dolls, a few pull-string mechanical models are still available --- http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Pull-Strin ... B001TWHIXK

Thank you for that info Joe_DS.I have heard of the Edison doll and the French made talking doll.I had until now never knew that Berliner was part of such a thing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was the "Berliner doll" actually manufactured by Kämmer & Reinhardt, who obtained a licence from Berliner to use his recording in their doll?

Yes, the Berliner Doll was manfactured by Kammer & Reinhardt, hence the similarities between her talking mechanism and the Berliner toy Phonograph. The "French Talking doll" is called Bebe Phonographe and was made by Jumeau. Her mechanism was made by Loriet.