Ruth Handler, co-founder of the Mattel toy manufacturing company, came up with the idea for Barbie after noticing her daughter playing with fashion paper dolls. She realized girls craved a toy that could embody their fantasies of becoming ambitious young women. Though Handler gave Barbie a backstory (she was born in Wisconsin as Barbara Millicent Roberts), she refrained from giving her an exact age because she wanted the doll to appeal to as many girls as possible.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Over the decades, Barbie has evolved to reflect modern styles and comforts, attitudes and causes, dreams and ambitions. She has taken on more than 150 careers, including astronaut, presidential candidate, and police officer. She has firmly cemented herself as a cultural icon, inspiring both art and commentary. And of course, she's sparked her fair share of controversy, for alleged racism, sexism, and plenty of other -isms, too.
**To see more from this collection, visit Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris through September 2016**
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA DraftSpeed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
-
Today's political cartoons - April 16, 2024Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - sleepyhead, little people, and more
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminderSpeed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
