The Living Windows

In the 1930s, certain department store windows used mechanical mannequins capable of slightly moving their head or blinking their eyes. Passersby sometimes stopped for several minutes before these almost-human figures. Modern commerce then began to exploit a very particular sensation: the fascinating discomfort provoked by almost-living objects.

In the early 20th century, department stores transformed into true urban theaters, and their windows had to catch the eye of crowds that moved quickly. To achieve this, several stores installed mannequins animated by hidden motors, capable of slowly turning their head, blinking their eyes, or repeating small gestures. The effect on passersby was immediate: these figures appeared almost human without quite being so, and this fascinated trouble already announced what would later be called the "uncanny valley."

Electricity made these windows permanent spectacles, offered freely from the sidewalk. Powerful lighting, reflective surfaces, and automatic movements transformed the commercial facade into a nocturnal stage, and the mannequin ceased being a simple rack to become a mechanical actor of urban life. In the 1930s, certain department store windows used mechanical mannequins capable of slightly moving their head or blinking their eyes.

These experiments prefigured a long lineage, from immersive advertising to commercial animation, to certain current research on humanoid robots. Passersby sometimes stopped for several minutes before these almost-human figures.