Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor, and while we know him for making the light bulb (amongst other things) he also came up with the creepiest, most horrifying child's toy that the world has ever seen.
With the early success of the phonograph, Edison decided that if he could shrink it down and fit it inside a doll, it would make a great toy for kids, so he set up the Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company in 1887.
The results were not as successful as he'd hoped however, as not only did the devices break inside the dolls when they were being shipped meaning that they didn't work, but children found them scary when they actually did play, according to The New York Times.
When you listen to the recordings, you might understand exactly why that is, but just make sure that you're not in a dark room alone when you hit play on these recordings, which are utterly terrifying.
Oh, the horror. We won't sleep for a week.
Via Mashable. Main image via National Park Service
