Personal drama creator of the Barbie doll, why Ruth Handler and lost business, and children

• Personal drama creator of the Barbie doll, why Ruth Handler and lost business, and children

Ruth Handler managed to create the most popular doll in the world. Although Barbie has been criticized, it has brought its creator millions. But when Ruth Handler stayed on top of its success, it was removed from the leadership of the company, was convicted on corruption charges, and at the same time she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition, the daughter said that Barbie is meant more for mothers than native children. In his declining years a woman had to start life all over again, and she found a way where it seemed to be.

Ruth Moskowitz was the 10th child in a Jewish family, emigrated from Poland to the United States. Her parents dreamed that her daughter married and a housewife, so we were very unhappy with her decision to go to college in the industrial design courses. However, their dreams have come true: in 1938 she married Elliot Handler and had two children.

Ruth Handler and her husband

Elliot Handler produce decorative picture frames. Once Ruth suggested to her husband from the remnants of wood to make furniture toy - this idea prompted her daughter Barbara, a master of the cubes beds for their dolls. Suddenly, toy furniture began to yield higher returns than the picture frames.

For business development needed new cash investment, so the handler suggested to his friend Harold Mattson to combine capital. They founded the company "Mattel", named after the founders (Matt Mattson and from El from Elliot). Although named Ruth was not in the name of the company, it was she who turned the "Mattel" in the brand.

The couple and their children Handler Barbie and Ken, which was named in honor of the doll

In 1956, the Handler family spent the holiday in Switzerland. In one of the bars Ruth saw a strange doll: she had long legs, high breasts and very candid outfit. Lilli doll was created by Robert Heuser based on the German comic. This doll was considered a toy souvenir for the adults, so sold in pubs.

Ruth often watched her daughter Barbara playing with not a bobblehead and a cut out of magazines pictures of models. It is conceived to make a doll similar to the ideal towards which every girl. Ruth persuaded her husband to buy the rights to the image of Lilly in 1957 .. their company launched the dolls.

So look first Barbie doll

Ruth Handler created a new image of the doll, focusing on the incredibly popular in the 1950s. actress Jayne Mansfield. Busty blonde turned her house in a pink doll house with cupids and hearts. Ruth Handler created the same for her dolls. In 1958, she received a patent for his toy and gave her daughter's name - Barbie.

The prototype of Barbie Jayne Mansfield

A Doll's House Jayne Mansfield became the prototype of Barbie house

The first public presentation of the new dolls failed miserably: the parents found her appearance vulgar. But Ruth did not lose her and started advertising on television. After that, hundreds of thousands of dolls scattered instantly. For the first 10 years of "mom" Barbie earned on sales of half a billion dollars of toys.

By the end of 1960. Ruth Handler was the most famous woman in the United States: she becomes the first female vice-president of the American Association of toy manufacturers, in 1970, she was appointed member of the Advisory Board of Business Affairs under President Nixon. But in the same year, she learned the terrible news: she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Operation and long-term treatment affected her ability, she returned to the company, but the presidency took only nominally. And in 1978 it was waiting for a new blow - a woman accused of fraudulent securities. She was tried and sentenced to 5 years probation and a fine. Started hounding the media, it has become a nationwide favorite antigeroinyu. From the management company it removed.

However, Ruth Handler is not lowered hands: the disease has helped her find a new realm of self-realization. The woman took up the issue of breast prostheses for those who have had a mastectomy. In 1991, she retired from business and sold its Medical Corporation. In the same year he died the son of Ruth - Kenneth, and the relationship with his daughter finally deteriorated: she blamed her mother that the doll took away all her attention and her daughter all my life was supposed to meet the woman of fashion and the beauty of Barbie, named after her.