The Barbie doll was created by Ruth Handler in 1959 and released by the Mattel toy company. The Barbie doll was inspired by a German doll called Lilli, which was based on a comic strip character.
The Barbie doll quickly became popular with young girls all over the world, and has remained one of the most popular toys for girls for over 50 years. Barbie has undergone many changes over the years, including different hairstyles, careers, and outfits.
Barbie has been many things over her career: a nurse, lifeguard, dance teacher and astronaut. For decades, she has captured the hearts of little girls across the world. But who is Barbie? And where did she come from? The Barbie doll was invented in 1959 by Ruth Handler after watching her daughter play with paper dolls. Barbra would give them adult roles and handlers noted this fascination.
Ruth came up with the idea of Barbie and introduced her at the 1959 American Toy Fair in New York. She was an instant success. It is said that Ruth Handler named Barbie after her daughter Barbra. The first Barbie doll wore a black and white bathing suit and its debut accessories included sunglasses, earrings, shoes, and bracelet. Barbie’s body measurements are 34-17-34.
In 1961 Mattel created Ken Carson who was Barbie’s boyfriend. Throughout Barbie’s history, she has held more than 200 jobs. The first African American Barbie doll was introduced in 1980 followed by Hispanic dolls in 1991.
During that time, there were few dolls that looked like adults. Most represented infants known as baby dolls. Ruth shared her idea with her husband, who was the co-founder of Mattel Toy Company. At first, he wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea, saying it would be too expensive and wouldn’t have a market. However, Ruth’s idea was inspired by the Lilli doll, which was based on a popular comic strip.
The Lilli doll was marketed as an adult novelty doll and was not meant for children. Ruth saw the potential in her idea and persisted. She believed that if they could design a doll that girls could project their dreams onto it would be successful. With some convincing from Ruth, Mattel took on the project. The first Barbie doll debuted at the 1959 American Toy Fair in New York City. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts and she hails from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.
Barbie’s parents are named Margaret and George Roberts. Early versions of Barbie were available with blonde or brunette hair. Barbie’s success was immediate and has continued throughout the years. In 1961 Mattel introduced Midge, Barbie’s best friend. Barbie’s boyfriend Ken was introduced in 1961 as well. Barbie has held more than 200 careers since her debut and has been an astronaut, doctor, pilot and CEO among others.
Barbie dolls have been sold in over 150 countries and have become one of the most recognizable toys in the world. In 2016 Barbie underwent a makeover in order to become more diverse and inclusive. The new line of Barbie dolls came in more skin tones, hair styles and body types. Barbie is no longer just a white blonde haired doll and girls of all backgrounds can see themselves represented.
Barbie has been a cultural icon for nearly 60 years now. She has come to represent so much more than just a toy. For many young girls Barbie is a symbol of what they can become. She has inspired girls to dream big and to know that they can be anything they want to be. Barbie has transcended generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, drew inspiration for the iconic doll from a German toy called Lilli. Lilli was a blonde working woman who Ruth felt represented women in a positive light. Despite some initial skepticism from her husband, Ruth worked on her design of Barbie with her engineer friend Jack Ryan.
The doll was given the name Barbie after Ruth’s daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair on March 9th 1959 – which is also used as Barbie’s birthday. When she was first introduced to the public, Barbie was presented as a teenage fashion model.
The first Barbie doll wore a black and white swimsuit with her name emblazoned across the chest. The Barbie Doll was an instant success selling out of her initial inventory of 300,000 dolls in just two weeks. An additional one million were quickly sold. In 1961 Ruth and Elliot Handler founded Mattel Creations which would go on to become Mattel Inc., the largest toy company in the world.
Barbie was originally available as either a blonde or brunette, wearing a black and white bathing suit, with her hair in a ponytail, sandals, and earrings. However, over the years Barbie’s design has changed noticeably in many ways; for example, dolls’ eyes were adjusted to look forward instead of sideways in 1971.
Additionally, 1961 saw the release of red-haired Barbie dolls into the collection while 1980 eventually brought about African American and Hispanic Barbies too. Since 1959 this iconic doll phenomenon hasn’t slowed down one bit–in fact, it still sells millions per year even today!
Barbie has been a toy doll since her creation in 1959 by Ruth Handler. Barbie was created to show girls that they could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up. The first Barbie dolls were sold for $3 each and had gold hoop earrings, red lips and black eyeliner.
The Barbie doll was named after Ruth’s daughter Barbara. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In the early days of Barbie, she was made with a blonde or brunette wig but now you can find her with any color hair imaginable. You can also find Barbie dolls with different careers such as doctor, teacher, police officer, and even president!
Barbie has had many different looks over the years. In 1967 Mattel introduced the first African American Barbie. In 1980 the first Hispanic Barbie was introduced. There are now Barbie dolls to represent almost every nationality.
Barbie has always been a fashion icon. She is known for her signature style which includes blonde hair, blue eyes, and a petite figure. Over the years Barbie’s clothing has ranged from everyday clothes to couture gowns. Barbie even has her own line of clothing and accessories for girls.
Barbie has also been featured in many movies and television shows over the years. In 1991 the first Barbie movie, Barbie in the Nutcracker was released. Since then there have been many more movies, tv shows, and even video games featuring Barbie and her friends.