The Story of Barby, a Disney Toy Company

Matel is named for harold matson, who went by mat and eliot handler. His wife ruth was a co founder and the creator of the company's most important toy. Ruth proposed a three dimensional, fashioned doll, shaped like an older tean ager not a small child. On a vacation in europe in 19 56, she found a curvaceous doll called lily and used it as the basis for barby which she launched in 19 59. Today, you can find barbies with nine different body shapes and more than 30 skin tones and over 90 hair colors. There's a barby in a wheel chair and another with a prosthetic leg.