Barbie, A Doll's Beginning and History

Ruth Handler created an icon the world has scampered for in awe since first becoming available in 1959, the icon's name is Barbie. Ruth first thought of the idea originally while watching her daughter Barbara playing with paper dolls.

Ruth suddenly realized as her daughter grew older and imitated adult conversations with the world around her she would require a three-dimensional representation to accompany her. Ruth's husband, Elliot was included in an all-male executives league at Mattel company and thinking they were just the ones to mention her idea of a doll complete with a woman's body.

Unfortunately, the board of males at Mattel declined Ruth's idea stating it was far too expensive to produce aganist the retail price only to leave the company in the dark. Ruth had a dire amount of determination to create a doll which would "project little girl's dreams of the future" and she would eventually set this forth into a reality.

When Barbie was produced spectators questioned the thought of this practically "nude" doll being displayed next to the graceful Madame Alexander and baby faced Ginny dolls, the nerve they thought.

There were in fact some whom admired Barbie referring to her as sunshine, and sweet. Charlotte Johnson the designer whom created Barbie's clothing ensembles for twenty years saw fit that the early outfits included the styles they emulated. The Handlers had set forth of introducing the doll as a start towards little girls growing with poise and admiration.

Ruth Handler wanted Barbie dolls to help create imagination and identity with little girls yet, Barbie had already developed her own unique identity, herself. 1961 introduced Ken, Barbie's keen and sweet beau Barbie was now referred to as "America's Golden Girl".

The trade-in program began in 1967 consisting of youn girl's bringing their old Barbie dolls and $1.50 in exchange for a new Barbie doll. No matter the cultural background Barbie spoke a universal language.

In 1976 there was a special place befitting for Barbie in "America's Time Capsule" giving her a permanent place in our country's history. The sixties depicted Barbie as a housewife turn the clock ahead twenty years and we saw her as an astronaut and a doctor, now a pilot rather than the stewardess. Women's movement and deserving long over-due equality shone through with Barbie as she continued to appear enchanting and allowing girls to fantasize their future.

An international line now included Hispanic, Italian and Oriental dolls. With America's acceptance in equality of all races and nationalities so did Barbie. Barbie doll sales for 1993 reached one billion dollars there is hardly a girl on the continent whom does not have at least one single Barbie doll. When first introduced girl's owned one Barbie on average nowadays it's more common for the average girl to own between three and four, each.

My daughter's nine years old and has over four hundred Barbie dolls already, in addition to her sealed collector versions of Barbie and her baby sister, Kelly. A Paris wax museum dubbed Barbie "An American cultural icon", perhaps, perhaps Barbie could educate the world a little in appreciation and acceptance to thrive and never stop dreaming look what became of a little girl named Ruth Mosko (Handler).