Ruth Handler
Co-founder of Mattel, creator of Barbie
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1916, Denver, Colorado
- Company
- Mattel
- Mattel founded
- 1945
- Industry
- Toys
- Born
- 1916 in Denver, Colorado
- Company
- Mattel, co-founded in 1945
- Famous for
- Creating the Barbie doll in 1959
- Named Barbie after
- Her daughter, Barbara
Early Life
Ruth Handler was born in 1916 in Denver, Colorado. She was the youngest of ten children, and her parents were immigrants who had come to the United States looking for a better life. Being the baby of such a big family meant Ruth grew up surrounded by people who were always busy and working hard.
As a young woman, Ruth wasn't the type to sit still. She wanted to work, she wanted to build things, and she had a head for business long before most people thought women belonged in boardrooms. That drive would follow her for the rest of her life.
Starting Mattel
In 1945, Ruth and her husband Elliot Handler started a company with a partner named Harold Matson. They came up with the company's name by mixing parts of two names together: Matson and Elliot. Put them together and you get Mattel.
The company began small, making picture frames and then dollhouse furniture out of the leftover scraps. But Ruth had a sharp eye for what kids actually wanted to play with, and Mattel slowly grew into a real toy company. The biggest idea, though, was still a few years away.
Inventing Barbie
Ruth got her big idea by watching her own daughter, Barbara. Instead of playing with baby dolls, Barbara liked giving her paper dolls grown-up roles, pretending they were adults with jobs and lives of their own. Ruth realized something: there wasn't a doll out there that looked like a grown-up woman a kid could imagine becoming.
So Ruth set out to make one. She created a doll with an adult look and named it Barbie, after Barbara. Barbie was introduced at the New York Toy Fair in 1959, and it became one of the best-selling toys of all time. Later, Ruth made a boyfriend doll and named him Ken, after her son.
What Ruth Teaches Us
Ruth's best idea came from paying attention to how a real kid played. She didn't guess what children wanted from behind a desk. She watched, she noticed, and she trusted that what she saw was worth building a doll around.
Later in life, Ruth had breast cancer and a mastectomy. Rather than stepping away quietly, she started a company called Nearly Me that made realistic prosthetic breasts so other women could feel like themselves again. She kept solving problems right up until she died in 2002, which tells you a lot about the kind of person she was.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented Barbie?
Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler, who co-founded the toy company Mattel. She came up with the idea after watching her daughter play, and she introduced the doll in 1959.
Who founded Mattel?
Mattel was founded in 1945 by Ruth Handler, her husband Elliot Handler, and a partner named Harold Matson. The company's name comes from combining Matson and Elliot.
When was Barbie created?
Barbie was created and shown to the public in 1959. Ruth Handler introduced the doll at the New York Toy Fair that year.
Why is it called Barbie?
Ruth Handler named the doll Barbie after her own daughter, Barbara. It was a personal choice that connected the toy to her family.
How was Barbie invented?
Ruth Handler noticed that her daughter Barbara liked giving her paper dolls grown-up roles instead of playing with baby dolls. That gave Ruth the idea to make a doll with an adult look, which became Barbie.
Who is the Ken doll named after?
The Ken doll is named after Ruth Handler's son, Ken. Ruth created him as a companion doll after Barbie became popular.
Where was Ruth Handler from?
Ruth Handler was from Denver, Colorado, where she was born in 1916. She was the youngest of ten children of immigrant parents.
What does Mattel make?
Mattel is a toy company. It is best known for Barbie, but it has made many other toys over the years, starting with picture frames and dollhouse furniture in its early days.
When did the first Barbie come out?
The first Barbie came out in 1959, when Ruth Handler introduced it at the New York Toy Fair. It went on to become one of the best-selling toys ever made.
What did Ruth Handler do after Barbie?
After her success with Barbie, Ruth Handler faced breast cancer and had a mastectomy. She then started a company called Nearly Me that made realistic prosthetic breasts for women, and she kept working until she died in 2002.
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