Ruth Handler

Ruth Marianna Handler (Template:Née Mosko; November 4, 1916 – April 27, 2002) was an American business magnate and inventor. She is best known for inventing the Barbie doll in 1959<ref name="FWI" /> and being co-founder of toy manufacturer Mattel with her husband Elliot, as well as serving as the company's first president from 1945 to 1975.<ref name="JWA" />

The Handlers were forced to resign from Mattel in 1975 after the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated the company for falsifying financial documents.<ref name="JWA" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Handler was prominently characterized in the 2023 film Barbie.

Early life

Ruth Marianna Mosko<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FWI">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="JWA">Template:Cite web</ref> was born on November 4, 1916 in Denver, Colorado, to Polish-Jewish immigrants Jacob Moskowicz, a blacksmith and Ida Moskowicz (née Rubenstein).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She was the youngest of ten children.<ref name="JWA" /> When she was six months old, her parents sent her to live with her older sister Sarah. She stayed with Sarah until she was 19<ref name="JWA" /> and developed an enthusiasm for business by working at Sarah’s drugstore/soda fountain.<ref name="JWA" />

In 1932, Ruth fell in love with Izzy Handler,<ref name="JWA" /> an art student. The summer of her sophomore year at University of Denver, she went to Los Angeles and landed a job at Paramount Studio. Ruth and Izzy married in 1938 in Denver. Returning to California, Ruth encouraged her husband to become known by his middle name, Elliot.<ref name="JWA" /> Ruth returned to work at Paramount and Elliot was employed as a lighting fixture designer.

Mattel

Elliot became interested in furniture-making and decided to make furniture from two plastics, Lucite and Plexiglas. At Ruth's suggestion, they started a furniture business where Ruth was in charge of sales, and she landed contracts with businesses such as Douglas Aircraft Company.<ref name="PBS">Template:Cite web</ref>

Business executive Harold "Matt" Matson joined the Handlers' company, which they renamed Mattel by combining "Matson" and "Elliot".<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref> (Elliot later said that they were unable to think of a way to include Ruth's name.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When sales fell during World War II, Mattel began making toy furniture. Its success spurred the company's transition to toy manufacturing.

Barbie

Observing her daughter Barbara and friends having fun with paper dolls and role-play adult scenarios, Ruth noticed a market void.<ref name="auto2"/> Dolls available at that time were mainly babies and toddlers; no dolls were available that resembled adults.

During a trip to Europe in 1956 with Barbara and her son Kenneth, Ruth came across Bild Lilli,<ref name="WP-20230525">Template:Cite news</ref> a German doll. In an interview with Mary G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie, Handler said that she saw the doll in Lucerne, Switzerland. However, the book points out that on other occasions Handler said that she saw it in Zürich or Vienna. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Ruth had in mind. She purchased three, gave one to her daughter, and took the others to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character in a satirical comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Bild. The Lilli doll was first sold in 1955 in Germany, and although initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing it in outfits that were available separately.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On return to the United States, Handler redesigned the doll with help from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan. She named the doll "Barbie" after her daughter Barbara, and said that "Barbie" was from Willows, Wisconsin. Premiering on March 9, 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York City,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the first Barbie doll cost $3 and was an instant hit.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> In its first year, 300,000 were sold.<ref name="auto1"/>

The Handlers and Mattel later added a boyfriend for Barbie (named Ken, after the Handlers' son).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Eventually a huge range of Barbie dolls was released, portrayed with more than 125 careers,<ref name="auto2"/> and Barbie became known for versatility and fashion. The Handlers added cars, sports gear, clothes, and doll furniture to their Barbie products.

Later years

Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1970. She had a modified radical mastectomy, which was often done at the time to combat the disease. She spent less time at Mattel to focus on improving her health. Her loss of self-esteem affected her leadership and she lost control of her business. In a 1980 interview, she said: "When I conceived Barbie, I believed it was important to a little girl’s self-esteem to play with a doll that [had] breasts. Now I find it even more important to return that self-esteem to women who have lost theirs.”<ref name="JWA" />

Due to difficulties in finding a good breast prosthesis, Handler decided to make her own. With the help of new business partner Peyton Massey and under her new company, Ruthton Corp., she manufactured a more realistic version of a woman's breast called Nearly Me, aiming to boost women's confidence regardless of their health. The invention became quite popular; first lady Betty Ford was fitted for one after a mastectomy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Handler received various awards for her philanthropy and business activities. She was chosen Woman of the Year in Business by the Los Angeles Times, inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame by the Toy Manufacturers of America, received the Volunteer Achievement Award from the American Cancer Society and was the inaugural Woman of Distinction of the United Jewish Appeal.<ref name="JWA" />

Following several investigations into fraudulent financial reports, Handler resigned from Mattel in 1975. Investigations continued and she was charged with fraud and false reporting by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She pleaded no contest and was fined $57,000 (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation/fn) and sentenced to 2,500 hours of community service. She blamed her illness for making her "unfocused" on her business.

Handler died on April 27, 2002 in California from complications during surgery for colon cancer. She was 85.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Legacy

Handler is portrayed in the 2023 film Barbie<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> by actress Rhea Perlman. In the film, the ghost of an elderly Handler resides in an office on the 17th floor of Mattel's El Segundo headquarters. There she meets the movie's stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie). Later, while advising Barbie, Handler tells her about her creation and how it related to her daughter, Barbara. Barbie then takes the name "Barbara Handler" as her own. The film stirred a wave of media coverage of Handler.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Further reading

• Forman-Brunell, Miriam. "Barbie in" LIFE": The Life of Barbie." Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth 2.3 (2009): 303-311. online
• Gerber, Robin. Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her. Harper/Collins, 2008.
• Weissman, Kristin Noelle. Barbie: The Icon, the Image, the Ideal: An Analytical Interpretation of the Barbie Doll in Popular Culture (1999).
• Wepman, Dennis. "Handler, Ruth" American National Biography (2000) online

External links

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