What is this strange-looking object about? It consists of two elements, a front piece that looks like an inverted egg and a helmet-like rear part. This interaction appears like a doll's head with slits incorporated on the front. The use of a special material also plays a role. Phenoplast plastic gives the device a metallic sheen, making it look classy and cool at the same time. What function does this device have? It's a precursor to the baby monitor that emerged in the 1970s. Japanese-American designer Isamu Noguchi developed the device in 1937. Properly placed, parents could monitor their child acoustically. This shortwave device was accompanied by a white, somewhat smaller receiver, which unfortunately is not on display. Noguchi named this receiver "Guardian Ear". While the "Radionurse" recorded the baby's sounds, the "Guardian Ear" played the sounds. What is particularly striking about the object "Radionurse" is the head-like shape, which gives the utilitarian object a human appearance. As it happens, the accompanying "Guardian Ear" is designed in a rather simple fashion, and does not have any human features. The human form is only included in the part of the device, which provides monitoring. It's a strange idea to have your child monitored by a doll-like head. The slits in the front of the object are also fitting. They are reminiscent of the appearance of traditional Japanese kendo masks. To learn Kendo, a sword-fighting martial art, protective clothing is worn during practice fights to this day. The kendo mask is part of this protective clothing. Noguchi's similarity to kendo masks alludes to the device's special deterrent and protective function. The protective function is additionally expressed by the suggested hood at the back of the object, which can be associated with nurses’ work clothes at that time. The device was developed against the background of the kidnapping of the 20-month-old son of the American national hero Charles Lindbergh, which kept the world in suspense from 1932 to 35. Based on this tragic story, Noguchi focused on the protective function of the device. What effect this very cool and unapproachable object had on babies, unfortunately, remains a mystery.