Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project
name: label: Collector
content: Maxey, H. David
label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.)
label: Inventor
content: American Telephone and Telegraph Company
label: Inventor
content: Bell Telephone Laboratories
label: Inventor
content: International Business Machines Corporation
label: Inventor
content: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
label: Inventor
content: Klatt, Dennis
label: Inventor
content: Kurzweil, Ray
topic: label: Topic
content: Computer sound processing
label: Topic
content: Voder
label: Topic
content: Speech synthesis
label: Topic
content: Speech
label: Topic
content: Computers
label: Topic
content: Assistive computer technology
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was created for the Smithsonian Institution from 1986-2002 by Dave Maxey in collaboration with Dr. Bernard Finn of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information, Technology, and Society, assisted by Elliot Sivowitch and Harold Wallace of the same division.
creator: label: Collector
content: Maxey, H. David
label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, conducted by H. David Maxey from 1986 through 2002, created a collection of archival materials documenting the history and development of speech synthesis technology. Maxey collaborated with Dr. Bernard Finn, Elliot Sivowitch and Harold Wallace of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information, Technology, and Society.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, conducted by H. David Maxey from 1986 through 2002, created a collection of archival materials including sound recordings documenting the history and development of speech synthesis technology. Maxey collaborated with Dr. Bernard Finn of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information, Technology, and Society. Elliot Sivowitch and Harold Wallace of the same division served as Smithsonian liaisons with the project.

"Speech synthesis technology" refers to the results of a long, evolutionary process in which researchers learned to create artificial sounds that people would interpret as speech. As early as the eighteenth century scientists were inventing mechanical machines to create sounds similar to human speech. Later electronics led to additional developments, The Voder was one of the earliest examples which was demonstrated to wide acclaim at the 1939 New York World's Fair. However, it was the widespread use of computers that led to the greatest progress in the field of speech synthesis.   

Speech synthesis is the process by which a computer speaks. By contrast, speech recognition is when a computer can interpret spoken language. The application of both of these capabilities has been important for creating assistive computer technology for the visually impaired (speech recognition) and for individuals unable to speak (speech synthesis). 

Among the leading researchers and organizations involved with the development of speech synthesis technologies are the Anerican Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), Bell Telephone Laboratories, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dennis H. Klatt, and Ray Kurzweil.

Today speech synthesis is a common feature of daily life from the cultured voice on the GPS saying exactly which road to take to making a train reservation on the telephone. However, many speech synthesis developers continue to explore and design methods to make the speech sound less mechanical, with the ultimate challenge being natural sounding speech that shows emotion. 

Dave Maxey's dedication to the project, with support from members of the staff of the National Museum of American History, has ensured the preservation of materials documenting the early history of electronic and computer engineered synthetic speech.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 8 Cubic feet (32 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1939-1999
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0417
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Diskettes
label: Type
content: Dictograph
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The original SSSHP numbers assigned by Dave Maxey are included in portions of the Container List. They are the basis for the organization of Maxey's original index to and description of the collection. Maxey assigned the numbers sequentially in the order he received each numbered item.

The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1, Administrative Files,1986-2002

Series 2, Project Files, 1939-1999

Series 3, Reprints, 1939-1999

Series 4: Audiovisual Materials,1939-1999

Subseries 1, ¼" Open Reel Audiotape

Subseries 2, Audiocassettes

Subseries 3, Miscellaneous 

Subseries 4, Reference and Protection Audiotapes and CDs
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist, July, 2007.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Diskettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Dictograph
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection documents a project done by H. David Maxey in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution. The collection consists of administrative files containing correspondence, project reports, and other infomation about the Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project. The project files, arranged geographically and alphabetically contains information about specific speech synthesis projects and inventions. The reprints series consists of reprints of articles which Maxey collected and organized separately. This series is organized both numerically and alphabetically. The audiovisual materials contain the recordings of talks, meetings, and samples of speech synthesis described in the projects outlined in the project files.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Artifacts related to this collection are in the Division of Work & Industry, Electricity Collections.