Radio Rex

“Radio Rex, from 1915, is thought to be the first voice-activated toy,” says Lyn, “and he represents how the development of toys and games usually follow inventions in technology and design. “As radios, gramophones, films and television programmes have all become large parts of adult lives, the museum collections show how children’s toys, games and clothes have also followed new technologies, fashions and crazes. Rex is a lightweight plastic dog that comes out of his kennel propelled by a spring. The spring is activated by acoustic energy from the sound of a voice – technology that is now more familiar to us as Alexa by Amazon or Siri by Apple.”