Zoo key

These were used by various zoos, largely in the latter half of the 20th century, as part of a system which played audio recordings describing exhibits.

[1] Installations included zoos in Portland (see Packy), San Francisco, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and New York.

[2] The system was invented and patented by Bruce Sedley (1925–2012),[3] in response to a request from William Penn Mott of the Oakland, California, Park Department.

[4][5][6] Originally known as "Talking Storybooks", (and implemented with a different shaped key), the first version of the system was installed at Children's Fairyland in 1958.

[7] Predating the Talking Storybooks, Children's Fairyland had a similar system based on coin-operated record players, which would frequently break down.

[17][18] The new system encompasses some environment-friendly features; the storybooks are solar powered, and the new keys are made from recycled plastic.

According to various sources, recordings were either done by professional voice actors in Hollywood or by local television performer, Linn Sheldon.

[19] One notable collector, Mark Lyons, got his first key at the Detroit Zoo during a grade school field trip.