Description
Celebrate the sixty-fifth anniversary of Barbie in a book dedicated to the fascinating history of the world’s most popular doll. Created by Mattel founder Ruth Handler, a game-changing feminist visionary, Barbie defied the conventions of the 1950s, establishing a role for women other than a wife and mother. With an identity outside of her family, Barbie represented an astounding modern departure, opening the imagination for what a doll—and a woman—could be. Decade by decade, the title comprehensively explores the Barbie doll’s evolution from 1959 to today with fascinating facts, insights and never-before-seen imagery. From Marilyn Monroe to Margot Robbie, fashion designers to first responders, Barbie is the essential primer of an American phenomenon. Today, more than a billion Barbie dolls with over 250 careers have been purchased worldwide, offered in an array of different nationalities, ethnicities, and body types. In these pages, readers will discover not only Barbie’s rich history but her singular magic: She is a doll through whom girls can project their own fantasies, whether it be doctor, rock star, paleontologist, Olympic gold medalist, Major League Baseball player, virologist, or ecologist.
- over 350 illustrations
- English language
- Released in November 2023
Description
Celebrate the sixty-fifth anniversary of Barbie in a book dedicated to the fascinating history of the world’s most popular doll. Created by Mattel founder Ruth Handler, a game-changing feminist visionary, Barbie defied the conventions of the 1950s, establishing a role for women other than a wife and mother. With an identity outside of her family, Barbie represented an astounding modern departure, opening the imagination for what a doll—and a woman—could be. Decade by decade, the title comprehensively explores the Barbie doll’s evolution from 1959 to today with fascinating facts, insights and never-before-seen imagery. From Marilyn Monroe to Margot Robbie, fashion designers to first responders, Barbie is the essential primer of an American phenomenon. Today, more than a billion Barbie dolls with over 250 careers have been purchased worldwide, offered in an array of different nationalities, ethnicities, and body types. In these pages, readers will discover not only Barbie’s rich history but her singular magic: She is a doll through whom girls can project their own fantasies, whether it be doctor, rock star, paleontologist, Olympic gold medalist, Major League Baseball player, virologist, or ecologist.
- over 350 illustrations
- English language
- Released in November 2023
PROCESS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Since its beginnings in 1994, Assouline has been dedicated to creating books that are as informational as they are beautiful works of art. The respect for the product and the process of creation is evident in every facet – the traditional technique of hand-binding covers, the imagery that transports the reader to another place and time, the luxurious thickness of each page. Known worldwide for bringing luxury to the publishing industry, Assouline produces one-of-a-kind books on fashion, art, architecture, photography, design, and travel, weaving a story of L’Art de Vivre with every publication.
The vision, since day one, has been to create books that would complete a well curated library. Today, well appointed homes of the eternally well-dressed, are likely to have an expansive collection of Assouline books in their homes or offices.
— Forbes