Button, Promotional
Object number2007.132.1
Manufacturer
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company
(1886 - 1945)
Date1939-1940
MediumMetal; ink
Credit LineHeinz History Center Collection
DescriptionCircular button with straight pin on back. Yellow with blue screen print. Image of robotic man and dog.Dimensions1 x 1 in. (2.5 x 2.5 cm)Inscriptions"Westinghouse" along left edge; to right of images, "ELEKTRO / AND / SPARKO".
Historical NotesA souvenir pin depicting Elektro the "mechanical man" and Sparko, his companion robot dog, produced by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. This style of pin was possibly produced as a souvenir for the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair, at which Elektro and Sparko performed in the Westinghouse Pavilion. Made in 1937 in Mansfield, Ohio, Elektro was the most advanced of a series of robots produced by Westinghouse, he could move his head, arms, and fingers, smoke cigarettes, speak, and distinguish between the colors red and green. Sparko debuted in 1940 and could walk, bark, sit, and turn his head upon command. The duo performed in the Westinghouse Pavilion during the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair, and later toured North America in promotional appearances for Westinghouse appliances.
On View
Not on view
1999
1939
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company
