Barbie: A cultural icon. She is the immortal image of the "ideal" woman, a girl who has done it all. She has grown up in millions of homes, possessed riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and tried her hand at numerous professions. She is not only the playtime pal of children but an iconic statue for grown women. Before anyone can collect Barbies and truly appreciate the dolls, she/he must first understand the history of Barbie and how she came to be a star. In the 1950s a woman named Ruth Handler was visiting Switzerland when she came upon a beautiful doll named Lilli. This doll, modeled after a famous cartoon character, was 7 inches tall, had shoes molded to her feet, and earrings on her ears. Lilli had a variety of outfits from which to choose. Inspired by the doll, Ruth returned home with the image of a doll in mind. She had already been thinking of creating a 3-D doll based off of paper dolls, and this image of Lilli solidified the idea in her mind. This image would soon be known the world over as Barbie.
In 1958, a patent was obtained for a doll known as "Barbie", a name inspired by Ruth's daughter Barbara. By 1959 Barbie hit the toy shelfs of New York. Investors believed the move was risky, as baby dolls were the popular toys of the day. However, Ruth proved investors wrong. By 1960 Barbie was flying off the shelves; demand so high that Mattel could not keep up. By the end of the 1960s the public had spent $500 million on Barbie, her friends and accessories.
Below you find a chronological history of Barbies, where to collect and find the best Barbies, and how to begin a collection that will last a lifetime.
Barbies: The 1960s
Barbie was, and still is, a woman of the times, portraying a picture of women in society. In the 1960s it was very important that Barbie reflect a positive image of women. As such, Barbie was often modeled off of great women in society. In the 60s, Jackie O influenced the look of Barbie with a pill box hat and bob hair cut, until Jackie started to stir controversy.
Also in the 1960s, older girls continued to keep or "collect" Barbies as symbols of what they dreamt to uphold and become. Seeing this trend, Mattel created Barbies geared for older girls. Instead of decking Barbie out in prom dresses, Barbie began to dawn ball gowns and debutante outfits. This was until the 60s took a turn of their own...
As the Beatles became popular and the mood in the nation changed, so did Barbie. Her skirt became shorter; her boots became longer. Now dawning a mini-skirt and go-go boots, Barbie represented a changed nation. Trying her best to become a symbol of fun and not of hippie-like behavior, Barbie continued to evolve with the rest of the country. It is at this point in time that Barbie's "newest" feature, the bent leg, appeared. Anyone who has played with a Barbie knows the jerky movement of the legs when they bend, and how unnatural this looks. However, it was the 1960s that spawned this feature and started the "Twist & Turn" Barbie - a Barbie that was more "life-like."
1959-1969 Barbies
Amazon has a great book below that displays the Barbies of the era in beautiful color photos, as well as the value of the Barbies in today's market.
Barbie on TV - 1960s
There was a heavy push at the end of the 1960s to promote Barbie, mostly through print marketing. Below are a few television spots from the early 1960s promotiong Ken and Malibu Barbie. Enjoy!