Sony TPS-L2 "Walkman" Cassette Player
Sony TPS-L2 "Walkman" Cassette Player
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage conditions apply

International Media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information,
visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. - Description
- This Sony "Walkman" portable tape player dates from the early 1980s. Originally introduced in 1979 as the “Soundabout,” two people could listen simultaneously while a small microphone permitted them to converse without removing their headsets. Powered by a 9-volt battery, the recorder sold well until the decline of the cassette format in the mid 2000s.
- Until the middle of the twentieth century portable recording equipment could be quite heavy. The introduction of small transistor radios in 1954 marked a new era in portable entertainment. Philips’ invention of a compact recording cassette in 1962 provided a convenient medium for music distribution.
- Object Name
- magnetic recording device
- tape recorder
- cassette player
- Other Terms
- tape recorder; Audio Devices
- date made
- ca 1980
- maker
- Sony
- Physical Description
- plastic (parts material)
- metal (parts material)
- Measurements
- player: 5 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in x 1 1/8 in; 13.97 cm x 8.89 cm x 2.8575 cm
- ID Number
- 1987.0127.01
- accession number
- 1987.0127
- catalog number
- 1987.0127.01
- Credit Line
- from Sony Corporation of America
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Music & Musical Instruments
- Popular Entertainment
- Communications
- American Enterprise
- American Stories exhibit
- Exhibition
- American Enterprise
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.