NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Written by James Ward
I went to the Natural History Museum a while ago. I went specifically to see if two exhibits I remembered from my childhood were still there. They were.
How strange! A talking head in a box! But still not as strange as the normal world is to a new born baby.
You explore, babies explore. You explore, babies explore. You explore, babies explore. Babies have to learn how to explore, you have come prepared; you know how handles work, babies have to learn.
Both these exhibits captured the imagination of the Ward household for many years, and yet whenever I’ve looked online to see if anyone else has mentioned them, I’ve always been surprised by the results. I assumed there would be websites dedicated to them, but there’s next to nothing online.
I guess every family has their own version of the talking head in a box; a peculiarly specific cultural memory. I just assumed someone else’s “talking head in a box” would be the talking head in a box too.
After reading Rhodri’s feature today, I decided to give your blog a visit. I have never been a fervent reader of such online musings and have certainly never left a comment. However, your observations have amused me greatly and this post in particular has compelled me to respond. Does a blogger as yourself read comments for archived writings? I am unsure. Nevertheless, I will continue. I am now slightly concerned this pre-amble is unjustified given the paltry nature of my retort.
I, like the majority of the populus (as you have discovered), remain blissfully unaware of this head in a box. However, on a recent trip to the NHM, a university friend of mine, and her childhood friends, wer greatly excited at the prospect of revisiting the head in a box, something which had captured their imagination as children. In case you were wondering, the exhibition i remebered from my childhood, around the same area, was the woman speaking martian.
Hallo, thanks for your kind comments.
I am very pleased to hear that your friends remember the talking head in a box too, I no longer feel alone in this world. Oddly enough, I don’t remember the woman speaking Martian – maybe people are only allowed to remember one exhibit each.
(By the way, I receive an email notification whenever someone leaves a comment as I believe you will too when I post this reply)
The Ward family is clearly on a similar wavelength to the Taylor family! After many moments of spontaneous recitals of ‘how strange…a talking head in a box’ after visiting the Natural History Museum, I decided to search on the internet. Like you I was certain that it would be mentioned somewhere. I was very relieved to read your blog and learn that we are not so alone! Our children are still fairly young (8 & 11) but I am sure that they will remember this exhibit from their childhood as they grow up. Our youngest also has less fond memories of the video clip of a man hearing scary noises in the night – it was all about adrenaline – and it gave him nightmares for a few weeks after our visit!!
This is great! I have found fans of the famous ‘Talking Head in a Box’. My obsession with this started at an early age and I’ve always wondered who’s voice that is…could be the same one used for “You explore…babies explore”! Only a few years ago, I went to the NHM just to see the head and rang up my friend on my mobile excitedly, opened the little door and played the voice to him….he cut me off!!
The lady who speaks martian is situated next to the small model of the lunar landscape and machines in the glass dome. I could watch her for ages – she is a bit of a minor celeb – again I wonder who she is and what she is doing now? The bits that I remember are her saying ‘Nini-floom’ and something like ‘tingle, ningle, snitz’ to show how many digits she is holding up!
2 exhibits used to scare me – ‘What would you look like if you didn’t have any bones’ which is a display on the wall that showed a man in denim jacket and jeans standing up and when you press the button the picture tranforms into him crumpled to the floor like a concertina. As mentioned above, the adrenalin exhibit but what scared me was the boy or man being chased along a beach by an alsation and he cuts his hand on the stones, while a heartbeat in the background gets louder and louder!
As nobody here yet has mentioned ‘Quacky Duck’ (my nickname for it), thought I’d bring him into the piece. The golden duck that zooms along and you have to stop it, and it makes a noise. I did once try to see if it would come off it’s motor to no avail! Most of the time though, you have to nudge it to get it going.
Thanks for the videos – I will try and track down a martian woman vid if someone’s uploaded it!
I was also fascinated by this exhibit…absolutely loved it I couldn’t stop cranking the handle and recorded it on my phone
Hah, I went back just the other day and did the same!
Same here! Always a highlight of a visit to the NHM in my childhood. Sad to say but I hear that since renovations, this exhibit is no longer there (so I have been told by a friend who works there). So good to see that it has now been preserved “forever” on your blog.
I grew up in Earl’s Court and would visit the natural history museum at least every week. The talking head in a box has haunted my dreams ever since I was a 6 year old! Today, as a 37 year old mum, I went with my husband and my 11 month old daughter to the human biology section of the museum again to visit my old friend, the talking head in a box. I can’t get over how the smell of the whole weird felted ET-esque ‘mushroom’ area is still the same: that odd smell of ancient fibreglass, like rotten honey. I am so glad that this blog exists, I hope you are still reading the comments! My husband and daughter are now head in a box fans. It’s one of those things that I still can’t believe exists and is STILL THERE after all these years. Please may it always remain that way: wonderfully creepy.