In 1959, Ruth Handler invented the Barbie doll and seems to have given a dream to girls all over the world. Over the years, Barbry has become a truly iconic toy. But Ruth’s own children were not at all happy with the plastic blonde.
It seems that we already know everything about Babri herself, but the biography of the “mother” of the cult doll, Ruth Handler, often remains in the background. But Ruth’s invention influenced not only the interests of children around the world, but also her own family.
Today we invite you to learn more about the personal life of the Mattel co-founder.
Handler was born in 1916, the youngest of 10 children in a family of Polish-Jewish immigrants who settled in Denver. Her father, Yakov Mosko, was a blacksmith who deserted the Russian army. Her mother Ida was illiterate. When Handler was only six months old, her mother became seriously ill and could no longer care for the children herself. Their older sister, Sarah, took custody of the children, including Ruth.
In 1938, Ruth married her high school sweetheart, an art student named Eliot Handler. They later had two children: daughter Barbara and son Kenneth.
The young couple moved to Los Angeles, where Eliot decided to start his own business. Ruth’s husband wanted to make furniture using two then new types of plastic: Lucite and plexiglass. At the same time, they first tried their hand at producing toys, creating die-cast models of the Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Ruth managed to sign a contract with the airline. The trinkets invented by the Handlers were bought by Douglas Aircraft, where the airplanes were presented as corporate Christmas gifts.