Barbie (Ficticious character)

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Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy company Mattel and launched in 1959. The toy is the figurehead of the Barbie brand that includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line. The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since the late 1980s, including video games, computer-animated films, and a live-action film.

Barbie and her male counterpart, Ken, have been described as the two most popular dolls in the world. Since its launch, Barbie has transformed the toy business in affluent communities globally by becoming a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends and relatives of Barbie, etc.). Writing for Journal of Popular Culture in 1977, Don Richard Cox noted that Barbie has a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Papers, 1931-2002 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Ruth Handler papers, 1931-2002 (inclusive) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
createdBy Handler, Ruth, 1916-2002 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Barbie dolls
Dolls
Toys
Occupation
Activity

Person

Female

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