See more objects with the tag music, listening, handheld, personal electronic, headphones.

Object Timeline

1979

  • Work on this object began.

2017

2018

2024

  • You found it!

TPS-L2 Walkman Portable Cassette Player And Headphones

This is a Walkman Portable Cassette Player and Headphones. It was designed by Kozo Ohsone and Akio Morita and manufactured by Sony Corporation. It is dated 1979 and we acquired it in 2017. Its medium is molded plastic, aluminum, steel, polyurethane, electronic components. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

Introduced in 1979, the Sony Walkman TPS-L2 was the world’s first portable music player. The design changed music listening habits forever, increasing music’s mobility. The device’s lightweight body and battery life made it popular with those active in the exercise craze of the 1980s and 1990s. The Walkman offered privacy due to the lack of an external speaker, but also encouraged sociability with a second earphone jack that made it possible for two people to share the music experience.

This object was donated by Robert Greenberg. It is credited Gift of Robert M. Greenberg.

Our curators have highlighted 1 object that are related to this one.

Its dimensions are

H x W x D (cassette player): 13 × 8.7 × 3 cm (5 1/8 × 3 7/16 × 1 3/16 in.) H x W x D (headphones): 16.5 × 14.2 × 4 cm (6 1/2 × 5 9/16 × 1 9/16 in.)

Cite this object as

TPS-L2 Walkman Portable Cassette Player And Headphones; Designed by Kozo Ohsone (Japanese, born 1933), Akio Morita (Japanese, 1921 - 1999); Manufactured by Sony Corporation (Japan); molded plastic, aluminum, steel, polyurethane, electronic components; H x W x D (cassette player): 13 × 8.7 × 3 cm (5 1/8 × 3 7/16 × 1 3/16 in.) H x W x D (headphones): 16.5 × 14.2 × 4 cm (6 1/2 × 5 9/16 × 1 9/16 in.); Gift of Robert M. Greenberg; 2017-51-4-a/c

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Bob Greenberg Selects.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

For higher resolution or commercial use contact ArtResource.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/1141960831/ |title=TPS-L2 Walkman Portable Cassette Player And Headphones |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=26 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>