Created in SoCal, Debuted in NYC

With all the hype about the Barbie movie, I realized I didn’t know much about the Barbie doll. I knew only that she came out after I had stopped playing with dolls, that her figure was controversial, and that many versions of Barbie existed. So I did a little research.

Barbie was the creation of Ruth Handler. She was a cofounder, in 1945, of the California-based Mattel toy company. Her husband Elliot and Harold Matson were the other cofounders. (The company name combined parts of the names of the two men. Do you suppose this made Ruth Handler want a doll that encouraged girls to be anything boys could be?)

In the late 1950s, Ruth Handler created a doll unlike any seen before in America. It was modeled on a doll she saw on a trip to Germany. Barbie had an adult figure—almost too much, some people complained.

The doll debuted at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. The Toy Fair is an annual event held in New York. It is open only to the toy trade, not the general public. Toys that appeal at the New York event soon appear in children’s hands.

The original Barbie—the one seen at the Toy Fair in New York—wore a black and white striped swimsuit. She came in two versions, one with blonde hair, the other a brunette.

Image courtesy of Mattel

Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has had many lives. Some Barbies have had careers, including those usually associated with men, such as astronaut and CEO. In 1980, Black and Hispanic Barbies hit the market. Over the years, Barbie’s physique was modified to be more realistic. She has had numerous wardrobes and accessories. Barbie’s friends, including Ken, are important characters in the product line.

Incidentally, the Handlers had two children, a daughter Barbara and a son Kenneth. Wonder how they named their two most famous dolls!

I wrote this blog before seeing the movie. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I want to make a few comments about it.

• Appropriately, one of the first images in the film is of the title character in the black-and-white swimsuit of the original doll.

• Barbie stumbles upon Ruth Handler, portrayed by Rhea Perlman. In a later scene, Ruth talks about the creation of the doll.

• The Barbies and Kens in the film have playfully antagonistic relationships.