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Creeping Baby Doll Patent Model

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

inventor
Clarke, George P.
Description
This model demonstrates the invention of a mechanical crawling doll. It accompanied the patent submission of George Pemberton Clarke, who received U.S. patent No. 118,435 on 29 August 1871 for his “Natural Creeping Baby Doll.” The original patent office tag is still attached with red tape. Clarke’s patent was an improvement on the crawling baby doll patent of his associate Robert J. Clay (No. 112,550 granted 14 March 1871).
The doll’s head, two arms and two legs are made of painted plaster. The arms and legs are hinged to a brass clockwork body that actuates the arms and legs in imitation of crawling, but the doll moves forward by rolling along on two toothed wheels. A flat piece of wood is attached to top of the movement.
A commercial version of the doll is also in the collection. See also Catalog number 2011.0204.01a.
This mechanical toy is part of a fascinating continuum of figures built to imitate human life. This long Western tradition stretches from ancient Greece through the mechanical automatons of the Enlightenment, through wind-up toys to contemporary robots and other machines with artificial intelligence.
Location
Currently not on view
1871
patent date
1871-08-29
ID Number
1984.0923.01
accession number
1984.0923
catalog number
1984.0923.01
patent number
118,435
Object Name
mechanical doll, patent model
mechanical doll, patent model, automaton
patent model, doll, creeping baby
Object Type
Patent Model
Measurements
overall: 6 3/4 in x 3 5/8 in x 11 in; 17.145 cm x 9.2075 cm x 27.94 cm
overall - from catalog card: 6 in x 3 in x 10 in; 15.24 cm x 7.62 cm x 25.4 cm
associated place
United States: New York, New York City
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mechanisms
Science & Mathematics
Industry & Manufacturing
Robots and Automatons
Sports & Leisure
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_856663
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-b0f8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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