The History of Barbie
How Barbie Came into Existence - By Wiki
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.
During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli.[1] The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a blonde bombshell, a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.
The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette in March 1959.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model," with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first Barbie dolls were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched by Japanesehomeworkers. Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model.
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.[2]
The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale.[3] The standard dolls are approximately 11½ inches tall.
Barbie products include not only the range of dolls with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of Barbie branded goods such as books, apparel, cosmetics and video games. Barbie has appeared in a series of animated films and is a supporting character in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.
Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. In 1985, the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.[4][5]
During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli.[1] The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a blonde bombshell, a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.
The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette in March 1959.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model," with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first Barbie dolls were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched by Japanesehomeworkers. Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model.
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.[2]
The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale.[3] The standard dolls are approximately 11½ inches tall.
Barbie products include not only the range of dolls with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of Barbie branded goods such as books, apparel, cosmetics and video games. Barbie has appeared in a series of animated films and is a supporting character in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.
Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. In 1985, the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.[4][5]
Barbie's Fictional Biography - By Wiki
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s, her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.[10] In the Random House novels, Barbie attended Willows High School, while in the Generation Girl books, published by Golden Books in 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School[11]).
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her boyfriend Ken (Ken Carson), who first appeared in 1961. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken had decided to split up,[12] but in February 2006 they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had a makeover.[13] Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including pink Corvette convertibles, trailers, and jeeps. She also holds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles including Miss Astronaut Barbie (1965),Doctor Barbie (1988) and Nascar Barbie (1998).
Mattel has created a range of companions for Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie's siblings and cousins were also created including Skipper, Todd and Stacie (twin brother and sister), Kelly, Krissy, and Francie. Barbie was friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer, during her split with Ken in 2004.[14]
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her boyfriend Ken (Ken Carson), who first appeared in 1961. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken had decided to split up,[12] but in February 2006 they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had a makeover.[13] Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including pink Corvette convertibles, trailers, and jeeps. She also holds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles including Miss Astronaut Barbie (1965),Doctor Barbie (1988) and Nascar Barbie (1998).
Mattel has created a range of companions for Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie's siblings and cousins were also created including Skipper, Todd and Stacie (twin brother and sister), Kelly, Krissy, and Francie. Barbie was friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer, during her split with Ken in 2004.[14]
Barbie's Family and Friends - By Wiki
- Barbie (1959–present) The first Barbie doll was described as a "Teen Age Fashion Model" on her packaging. According to the Random House books, the Barbie character's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and her parents' names are George and Margaret Roberts. Originally she is a 16 year old student, but she works a variety of professions.
- George Roberts (1960-present) He is an engineer. He has a wife Margaret and children: Barbie, Skipper, Todd, Stacie and Kelly. He also has a sister-in-law, Millicent.
- Margaret Roberts (1960-present) Margaret's maiden name is Rawlins. She is a homemaker.
- Ken (1961-1967, 1969–present) The second character added to the line, Ken has been Barbie's boyfriend for much of the time the character has existed. After a short break, they got back together. According to the 1960s Random House books, Ken's full name is Kenneth Carson. In Barbie Fashion Comic #34 from 1993, Ken's grandmother is named Edna. In Barbie Fashion Comic #52 from 1995, Edna's father is named Kenneth. In Brazil in the 1980s, the Estrela company named the doll Bob instead of Ken (from the book Barbie Doll Around the World, by J. Michael Augustyniak, copyright 2008 Collector Books).
- Skipper (1964–2003, 2010-present) Skipper was the first character added to the line as part of Barbie doll's family. Skipper is Barbie doll's younger sister, originally appearing to be approximately 10 years of age, and later becoming a teenager.
- Tutti (1965-1971) Twin sister of Todd, both Tutti and Todd were younger siblings of Barbie and Skipper, and had seamless 'bendy' bodies. Both dolls appear to be approximately 4 years of age.
- Todd (1965-1971) Twin brother of Tutti, and younger brother of Barbie and Skipper.
- Francie (1966-1977) Cousin of Barbie, Skipper, Tutti and Todd. Francie appeared to be only slightly younger than Barbie, and had a much less shapely figure. The Francie doll was the first to feature rooted eyelashes. In the March 1966 issue of Barbie Magazine, she is the daughter of Claude and Lily Fairchild.
- Jazzie (1988-1992) A new cousin of Barbie, part of a small group of high school age dolls.
- Stacie (1990- ) Introduced as Kelly, in the 1991 Wedding Day Midge gift set as the flower girl, this doll is often confused with Tutti, though the Tutti character had been discontinued for years at this time. Kelly was renamed Stacie shortly thereafter, and the Kelly name was used for a younger character.
- Todd (1990-2001) Introduced in the 1991 Wedding Day Midge gift set as the ring bearer, this doll should not be confused with the earlier Todd doll. His packaging mentions that he is the "twin brother of Stacie," similar to how the other Todd's packaging said he was the "twin brother of Tutti." Mattel's continuity for Barbie's family and friends has not been consistent over the years, some characters disappear for years at a time, others are dropped indefinitely, and still others continue for years while undergoing marked changes in appearance.
- Kelly (1995-late 2010) – This character is of toddler age, and is sister to Barbie, Skipper, and Stacie. Originally the baby of the family (replaced by her younger sister Krissy Roberts in 1999), she also has five older sisters named Stacie, Chelsea, Tutti Roberts, and Skipper, and a brother named Todd Roberts. In Europe, she is known as Shelly. Kelly dolls have since ceased production in late 2010 and were replaced by Chelsea. Excluding a brief period when the design of the Kelly doll was changed to have an oval-shaped head, larger eyes, and longer limbs marketed under the name "Sweetsville," Kelly dolls have stayed true to their original design which debuted in 1995. A Kelly doll was introcuced in the early 1990s as part of the Midge and Allen wedding party, a set of 6 dolls dressed for a wedding. This Kelly doll is 7 1/2 inches tall, exactly the same size as the ring bearer, Todd, who is wearing a Tux. She is wearing a peach dotted Swiss dress and carries a white basket of flowers as she is the flower girl. She was made for a very limited time as part of this set. She has long blonde hair. The Todd doll which is made from the same mold has fuzzy brown hair. They both appear to be 6 to 9 years old and are very rare and she is a very pretty little girl doll. It appears that there were no clothes other than the wedding attire made for either of these dolls.
- Krissy (1999-2001) – This character is an infant, and is only intermittently included in the Barbie sibling lineup.
- Blaine (2004) - Barbie's Australian ex-boyfriend, whom she dated during her much-publicized "breakup" with the Ken character. Blaine is said to be the brother of Summer, one of Barbie's friends.
- Chelsea (2010–present) - Barbie's younger sister. She replaced Kelly. She appears to be approximately 5–7 years old and is slightly taller than Kelly. The doll was first produced in 2011 as part of the "My Fab Sisters" line. She is the youngest sister of Barbie currently sold (Mattel discontinued Kelly shortly before Chelsea was produced). She has blonde hair and blue eyes (very similar to Kelly). Mattel has also made African American versions of Chelsea.
- Millicent Rawlins is aunt of Barbie and sister of Margaret. Her first appearance was in Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale.
Barbie's Waist Has Widened From The 1950's To Present
In 1959 Barbie's waist was much smaller than it is today. Barbie's waist had a twist N' turn feature, and her legs were attached to her hips on the outside. As you can see, today Barbie has a larger waist with a belly button for a more realistic looking body. Her legs are attached in a ball and socket fashion for a natural look, and more durability. We are a big fan of curves, and are glad that Mattel has evolved Barbie over the years.
Biographical - The Story of Ruth Handler, The Mother of Barbie
Barbie was created by Ruth Handler. Born, Ruth Mosko to Polish immigrant parents in Denver, Colorado on November 4, 1916. She married Elliot Handler in 1938 and they had two children, Barbara and Ken. In 1945, the Mattel company was founded by Harold Matson, Elliot Handler and Ruth Handler to make picture frames. As the company grew to manufacture other items, such as doll-house furniture, Ruth began to pay attention to her daughter’s play habits. She observed Barbara role playing with her 2-dimentional paper dolls and acting out career scenarios with them. This prompted Ruth to invent a three-dimension doll, named Barbie after her own daughter, in 1959. In 1967 Ruth Handler became the President of Mattel, Inc. She and her husband left Mattel in 1974, although Ruth continued to represent the Barbie doll throughout her life. On April 27, 2002, Ruth Handler died in Los Angeles, California after a long fight against cancer (Ament).
Written By: Barbie50.webs.com
Written By: Barbie50.webs.com
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First Barbie CommercialDisney first aired this first ever barbie commercial during the Mickey Mouse Club in 1959. Barbie was the first toy in America to be marketed through television advertising. Watching this archived commercial reminded me how early television commercials are different than those we see today. Mattel's main message is delivered through the lyrics of the Barbie jingle, "Barbie - You're Beautiful". Little girls wanted to grow up to be beautiful and have lovely clothes, just like Barbie. The $3.00 price tag was pretty shocking too (First Barbie Commercial). Little girls around the world came to adore and model after Barbie. She was everything beautiful, fashionable, and she had a clean image.
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