In 1939, an astonishing new machine debuted at the New York World’s Fair. It was called the “Voder," short for “Voice Operating Demonstrator.” It looked sort of like a futuristic church organ.
An operator -- known as a "Voderette" -- sat at the Voder's curved wooden console with a giant speaker towering behind her. She faced an expectant audience, placed her hands on a keyboard in front of her, and then played something the world had never really heard before.
A synthesized voice.
