Ruth Handler: Inventor of Barbie
February 10, 2008
Ruth Handler invented a cultural icon, Barbie. An idea that girls wanted to play with adult dolls not only baby dolls changed the toy industry. Released in 1959, Barbie has become one of the most played with toys in history. Much controversy surrounds the plastic doll, but even so more than 90 percent of all young girls have owned at least one Barbie (Wood, 2002). Although the concept started out by seeming simplistic the doll has changed the way that young girls play and the way that women in society are seen.
