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For the next few months, we’ve decided to dig into the CR4 archives and expand upon some blog posts from 2007. Back then, we published a series of lists of women inventors and now we will write full blog posts about those who have yet to be featured. Do you know of a great person to be a subject? Let us know!
Most of us know her invention, but few people know the mind behind it. Ruth Handler is credited with inventing the Barbie doll, a toy many children know and love for playing and imagining. She was one of the co-founders of Mattel, one of the largest toy companies.
When Ruth’s daughter Barbara was young, she played with paper dolls for hours. Barbara would act out different scenarios with the dolls and her imagination would run wild. But Ruth noticed the paper dolls had some limitations: they were flat, their clothes didn’t stay on well and they were not flexible. Ruth thought a 3D doll might be more enjoyable. She was inspired by the Bild Lilli Doll from Germany, which was sold as a gag gift for adults. Ruth reworked the doll into a more-kid friendly model and named her creation Barbie, after her daughter.
She debuted the doll at the 1959 New York Toy Fair. But Barbie was not well-received at first. Many thought the doll’s voluptuous body was not appropriate for children. The idea behind the toy opened doors for young children, especially girls, to imagine all they could become. Today, some still find Barbie’s anatomy problematic, but typically for body image reasons, less so for sensuality.
When Disney debuted The Mickey Mouse Club, Mattel bought a lot of television ads and specifically showcased Barbie. The toy soared in popularity and soon enough other dolls were added to the collections as Barbie’s friends or her boyfriend, Ken.
Over the years, Barbie was released in numerous different lines of work, styles and shapes. She’s been everything from surgeon to police detective. Last year, robotics engineer Barbie was released, while the company also announced its Close the Dream Gap initiative, which funds research to encourage and inspire young women to chase their dreams.
This year, Barbie celebrated 60 years and remains one of Mattel’s best-selling toys. The company also debuted a new line of dolls featuring different skin tones, body types, hairstyles and more this year.
Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1970, and founded a second company called “Nearly Me,” which manufactures a realistic breast prosthesis for women who have undergone a mastectomy.
She resigned from Mattel on 1974 after some financial trouble and alleged fraud, which she said was due to her illness occupying her mind significantly at that time.
Over the years Ruth and her husband, Mattel co-founder Elliot, took a more hands-off approach to the company. She died in 2002 from complications during surgery for colon cancer.
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