voice/writer tape deck
Date: 1971-1972
Inventory Number: 2004-1-0224
Classification: Tape Deck
Subject:
Maker: 3M Company (Wollensak Division) (1902-present)
User: Polaroid Corporation (1937-present)
Owner: Edwin H. Land (1909 - 1991)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
10.5 × 35.5 × 31 cm (4 1/8 × 14 × 12 3/16 in.)
Accessories: "VOICE/WRITER DECK - COMPENSATOR SWITCHING DIAGRAM" in instrument file.
Description:
This tape deck is also part of the Polaroid Interactive Lecture System developed for science teaching. This deck, which used standard cassettes, is made of wood and metal and has several knobs and switches to record and playback audio files.
It has been modified from the original product made by the 3M Wollensak Division. A metallic box at the back of the deck is equipped with switches and data sockets, which were designed for the electrowriter receiver and transmitter (2004-1-0222 and 2004-1-0223, respectively) that were part of this system.
The cassette is marked: "EW Exercise"; "SW own"; and "5/76 MDI". SW stands for Stewart Wilson, the inventor of this system for Polaroid.
It has been modified from the original product made by the 3M Wollensak Division. A metallic box at the back of the deck is equipped with switches and data sockets, which were designed for the electrowriter receiver and transmitter (2004-1-0222 and 2004-1-0223, respectively) that were part of this system.
The cassette is marked: "EW Exercise"; "SW own"; and "5/76 MDI". SW stands for Stewart Wilson, the inventor of this system for Polaroid.
In Collection(s)
Signedon deck: Polaroid Corporation
on plaque, underneath: Wollensak 3M Company
on plaque, underneath: Wollensak 3M Company
Curatorial RemarksThe senior scientist who worked on this project at Polaroid between 1971 and 1976 was Stewart W. Wilson. His resume posted on the web (see here) mentions that he
"Invented, developed, produced, and marketed the Interactive Lecture System (ILS), an individual learning system which approximates a personal, branching interaction with an articulate scientist or teacher on a topic of mutual
interest, including answers by the speaker to questions as they arise.
Contracted with and directed the making of Interactive Lecture recordings by scientists such as Carl Sagan and Philip Morrison. Tested system with students from M.I.T., Harvard, and Boston University.
For the ILS’s graphic channel, which allows formulas and sketches in the teacher’s own hand to play back from the second track of the tape, invented and implemented a compensator unit which totally eliminates tape flutter effects from the writing.
Directed manufacture of the ILS, introduced as a Polaroid product at shows such as the American Physical Society’s annual meeting, and marketed it nationally to schools and colleges."
"Invented, developed, produced, and marketed the Interactive Lecture System (ILS), an individual learning system which approximates a personal, branching interaction with an articulate scientist or teacher on a topic of mutual
interest, including answers by the speaker to questions as they arise.
Contracted with and directed the making of Interactive Lecture recordings by scientists such as Carl Sagan and Philip Morrison. Tested system with students from M.I.T., Harvard, and Boston University.
For the ILS’s graphic channel, which allows formulas and sketches in the teacher’s own hand to play back from the second track of the tape, invented and implemented a compensator unit which totally eliminates tape flutter effects from the writing.
Directed manufacture of the ILS, introduced as a Polaroid product at shows such as the American Physical Society’s annual meeting, and marketed it nationally to schools and colleges."
ProvenanceThis object belonged to Edwin H. Land and came from the Rowland Institute, Harvard University. Gift of the Edwin H. Land Family.
