The History of the Barbie Doll
The idea of Barbie all started in 1959 when Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator, noticed her daughter Barbara playing with paper dolls and imagining them in grown up roles such as college students, cheerleaders, and adults with careers. Ruth realized that dolls on the market at that time were all baby dolls, and that there was a need for a doll that would inspire little girls to think about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Thus the idea for the Barbie doll, the teenage fashion model, was born. Ruth named the doll Barbie, after her daughter and now, 40 years later, this 1.9 billion-dollar-a-year industry is stronger then ever.The Barbie doll started being released in early 1960. It first appeared in the now-famous black and white striped swimsuit and signature ponytail. After producing this doll and one other know as Roman Holiday, she began to be made with lighter blue eyes and a new type of vinyl that retains its flesh-tone color rather than whitening with age. One year after her introduction, number five was released. She was made with different hair colors, one of which was a shade of red known as titian, and with a new Bubble Cut hairstyle popularized by Jacqueline Kennedy. Enc
By the end of the decade Barbie had changed even more. Her and her friends were given more bendable legs. Her new hairstyle was known as "American Girl". 1967 gave her a more youthful face and long straight hair to keep up with the changing times. A talking Barbie was finally introduced in 1968. This was a long time dream of Ruth's husband, Elliot. During the '70s, Barbie doll had a constantly changing wardrobe that swung from the mod look of Live Action Barbie, a wild multi-colored pants outfit, to the high fashion of City Sophisticate. Her wardrobe also reflected an international flavor in Picture Pretty Barbie from Canada and Party Time Barbie from Germany. real world. In 1968, Barbie doll's black friend Christie was first introduced, in 1988 Teresa, a Hispanic doll came, and in 1990 Kira, an Asian friend, debuted. In 1997 Share a Smile Becky, Barbie's friend in a wheelchair was introduced for the first time. Barbie's circle of friends also includes others such as: Francie, Tutti, Todd, Stacy, P.J., Jamie, Cara, Kelley, Steffie, Tracy, Miko, Whitney, Diva, Dee Dee, Dana, Steven, Kayla, Devon, Nia, Belinda, Bopsy, and Steven. Many of these are now retired due to the fact that they were part of a series. Barbie fans of all ages can also enjoy the line of special edition and limited edition dolls designed specifically with the collector in mind. Exquisite fashions designed by Nolan Miller, re-creations from Barbie doll's early years, and Barbie and Ken as characters from popular files such as The X-Files, are helping the world of Barbie Collectibles grow. The value of older dolls is rising as more and more adults discover the world of Barbie. By the beginning of 1970 Barbie's fashion trends were up-to-the-minute. She had designs reflecting the prairie look, the granny dress, the California girl suntan craze, and glittery disco styles. Barbie turned sweet 16 in 1974 and a portion of Times Square was renamed "Barbie Boulevard" for a week in her honor. In 1976, Barbie doll's face was again
Some common words found in the essay are:
Handler Barbie's, American Girl, Camera CD-ROM, Barbie Boulevard, Barbie Collectibles, Swirl Barbie, Sister Stacie, Bopsy Steven, Roman Holiday, Barbie Staring, barbie doll, barbie doll's, friend midge, bubble cut, barbie doll started, little sister, barbie's friend, world barbie, barbie friend, limited edition, products barbie, barbie friend midge, mattel celebrated barbie's,
Approximate Word count = 1381
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
