Silken Flame

Vintage Barbie illustrations, built environment, clones and more

The “built” environments of Whitman Barbie paper dolls

We talk a lot about Barbie illustrations here, and we talk a lot about Barbie’s play sets and furniture, but what about the built environments within Barbie illustrations? In our posts on Whitman paper dolls we featured some paper doll folder interiors that show Barbie’s home or place of work; in fact, there are many such folders worthy of consideration. These illustrations provided a backdrop against which to dress and re-dress paper dolls, adding a little immersion to the 2D doll experience. The set below is a perfect example.

A paperboard folder stands open with a paper doll standing/leaning against it. On the lefthand side of the folder, a dressing room is represented by white louvered doors shown in an open position. From the yellow rectangle between them, the doll has been punched out. The paper doll has brownette bubble cut hair and wears a strapless one-piece undergarment with black open-toed shoes. The righthand side of the folder shows a closet filled with dresses and hatboxes on the shelf above. Differently colored belts hang on the open door. To the left of the closer is a framed picture of a ballerina, and below that, a notepad. A low, pink-cushioned stool sits beneath them next to the closet, and two pairs of closed-toed shoes in red and pale blue sit near the stool.
1963 Whitman Barbie paper doll set interior with doll. Source: PORCH SAFE on eBay.

The illustrated interiors often show places where Barbie might dress, like this one depicting a changing room and closet. On the back of this folder is an illustration of Barbie posing before a full-length mirror, which we highlighted in our first post on the Whitman paper dolls.

A thematically similar design from 1966 shows either a boudoir scene or a store dressing room (since there are tags on all the dresses). We used this backdrop for a Francie/Casey photo shoot in a recent post.

Open folder with woodgrain look. To the left a closet is illustrated with pink tags hanging prominently from all the sleeves (Coutnry Club Dance stands out as a recognizable dress among them). Above these are boxes of various sizes. A horizontal slash through the closet where the hanger rail would be opens and blonde bubble cut Barbie, in paper doll form, can be seen peering out along with a bit of one of her fashions. The righthand side shows a three-panel "mirror" with a red-cushioned chair and blue area rug before it. Most of the "mirror" is a blur of white paint over brown, but the chair is clearly rendered in reflection. Unsettlingly, the reflection of a potted plant is shown in the corner between two of the mirrors, apparently in the foreground, but the plant itself is not illustrated. Along the bottom of the two sides is written "Put Dolls in This Handy Carry Pocket" and "Put Clothes in This Handy Carry Pocket."
1966 Whitman Barbie Skipper Skooter paper doll folder interior, with dolls and fashions poking out of the lefthand pocket. Source: dianeb6182 on eBay.

Midge’s changing area was decorated in a romantic style. As a backdrop for diorama or for imaginative play, this piece loses some immersivity due to its paper-doll-shaped holes (the missing Midges of this set are very cute, by the way).

Red folder lies open. Toward the center, a matched pair of white three-drawer dressers in a classical style are illustrated over a printed area rug. Over one dresser a mirror in gilt frame hangs, surrounded by a pendant lamp, vase, and perfume or costmetics jar. To the right side, on the wall hang some indistinct works of art--possibly floral--and a vertical banner of three hearts. On the top of the dresser sit more bottles and a framed portrait of a fellow, possible Alan. To the sides of the dressers are Midge-shaped holes revealing brown inside paper or cardboard material.
1963 Whitman Midge paper doll set interior. Source: harpagon-half on eBay.

A different type of dressing room appeared inside the Little-Theatre-themed “Costume Dolls” set, which also included small versions of the Little Theatre’s stage backdrops. Since the Little Theatre itself has no backstage area, this folder makes a valuable addition.

Another red folder. This one shows two two-seater vanities before large mirrors surrounded with lights. One vanity has a pink floral skirt and white stools with pink cushions; the other has a pale blue skirt with blue-cushioned barrels for chairs. On this vanity rests a wolf head, and red shield leans on one of the barrels. On the pink vanity are a bouquet of flowers and various cosmetic items. A note written on the mirror reads "Barbie-- Rehearsal at 7 am - Midge" A pair of black open-toed shoes sits next to one of the pink seats. Along the bottom are the same messages to put dolls in one pocket and clothes in the other.
1964 Whitman Barbie Costume Dolls folder reproduction. Source: Arlene’s Vintage Paper Dolls on eBay.

Barbie’s early-Sixties career as a fashion designer provided another setting in which dolls might get changed, below. We’re especially fond of all the sketches of authentic Mattel Barbie fashions shown, when the paper doll set itself contained few or no recognizable Barbie ensembles.

An open folder showing white furniture: a drafting table with red-cushioned stool, a little round side table with drawers, and a larger four-drawer chest. On the drafting table is a drawing of Friday Nite Date, a headshot of barbie and other papers. The little table is pulled close to the chair and holds a palette and brushes. Hanging on the walls are sketches of Registered Nurse, After Five, Party Date, Dinner at Eight, Sorority Meeting, and a couple Ken fashions. A dressmaker's dummy and bolt of fabric sit to either side of the chest of drawers. The instructions to put dolls in one pocket and clothes in the other appear over the pockets. along the tops of the drafting table and chest of drawers.
1963 Whitman Barbie, Ken and Midge folder interior. Source: Bees Knees Shoppe on eBay.

At least once, a Barbie career was featured that did not immediately suggest dressing:

Folder stands open showing an airplane interior like the one in the Barbie Friend Ship play set. To one side is a closet with coats and small luggage. Next is a service area with dishes, sink, coffee pot, hanging towels, and cabinets the really open; to the right are drawn two rows of seats facing each other over a thin wood-look table. Windows beyond these show a cloudy sky. Below the sears is written "Put Clothes In This Handy Carry Pocket" (there is no pocket for the dolls this time).
1973 Whitman Barbie’s Friend Ship paper doll folder interior. Source: Variety Company on eBay.

although the Braniff air hostesses from a couple years earlier did have three costume changes per flight! We’ve demonstrated the use of this folder as a diorama backdrop in a couple of posts.

And other times, the illustrated setting was neither work nor home, as in the case of this drive-in burger joint:

A folder stands open. Large red lettering along the top reads JOE'S BURGERS. Below that is a striped awning, followed by a wall of windows with signs for: Burgers, 19 cents; malts, 20 cents; hot dogs, 10 cents; fries, 12 cents. A male employee is drawn near a range hood, and a female employee stands inside on window with burgers and colas on a tray. A pitcher and glasses at another window are filled with pink fluid. Below waist level of the characters is a wall of aqua tile. On the surface below the folder are, among some partially-visible paper doll clothes, a miniature paper Barbie in a seated position, about half the size of the paper dolls, and a miniature Ken, just from the arm up, at a steering wheel. They are for inserting into a paper car, not shown.
1963 Whitman Barbie and Ken paper doll folder. Source: Momma’s Hobby Vintage on eBay.

To use it with dolls, paper or otherwise, the user must supply the car. The set did come with a small-scale paper car and small-scaled Barbie and Ken (lying in front of the folder shown above) to sit in it.

Lastly, at least one folder featured Barbie’s house with Barbie squarely in the scene. These illustrations, on a 1967 folder, show that year’s new T’n’T Barbie inhabiting the New Dream House, first available in 1964:

Inside of a paper doll folder. On the left side, barbie in Caribbean Cruise dusts a coffee table. Behind her is an orange armchair and across the table a yellow sofa. At the back, a brick fireplace with hanging ivy-like plant and two framed cats. At right, Barbie in a blue sheath and matching red polka dot apron and oven mitts, holding a casserole dish in front of an oven and range with hood. On the range sits a coffee carafe and to one side a spice rack hangs. Bottom of the folder bears the usual instructions for storing dolls and clothes.
Inside the “Barbie has a New Look” folder from 1967. Source: onceagain34 on eBay.

This is surely not an exhaustive list of built environments in the Whitman paper doll folders, although many folders featured illustrations less suited as a setting for imaginative play; in the Seventies the folders were phased out in favor of books with fewer ancillary illustrations.

Where to next? This post is about Barbie’s early built environment. The most recent post in this category is part three of the Barbie’s Seventies Travelogue series, and the most popular are those on Mattel Modern and Susy Goose furniture and on penthouse apartments. Otherwise, the overall most popular posts on this site are about Barbie shoes, 1959-67, and about Mattel fashion booklets. Or just head up to the Table of Contents to see more options.

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