Tag: after five
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More crafts and hobbies (1963-1971)
In past entries we’ve seen how Whitman broadened the early Barbie illustration space through their paper doll sets and coloring books, but those are just the tip of the iceberg; here are some other Whitman products that helped define Barbie visually during the first dozen-ish years. “Barbie and Ken” jigsaw puzzles were produced starting in…
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Dell Comics (1962-1963)
From May of 1962 to August of ’63, Dell Comics released a 5-issue run of “Barbie and Ken” comic books. Contemporaneous with the Random House chapter books, the comics introduce a different vision of Barbie. Whereas the chapter books’ protagonist was a high school student, the comics’ Barbie is an adult with numerous careers: flight…
sheathsensation
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Who wore it best?
Hat tip to BillyBoy*, who highlighted the above similarity in his 1987 book, Barbie: Her Life and Times. Hat tip to Paris Refashioned: 1957-1968 by Colleen Hill for featuring the Yves Saint Laurent and Christiane Bailly designs above. Where to next? Two further entries ask, “Who wore it best?”: one on designer Mary Quant, featuring…
sheathsensation
1960, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, after five, balenciaga, betty grable, black magic, cardin, christiane bailly, courreges, dior, enchanted evening, francie, how to marry a millionaire, intrigue, marilyn monroe, solo in the spotlight, stefanie powers, the girl from U.N.C.L.E., twiggy, vintage barbie, vintage francie, yves saint laurent -
Basic and dressed doll boxes
Basic Barbie boxes The first boxes in which Barbies were sold came decorated with illustrations that were simultaneously more detailed and softer in style than the fashion booklets of the time; where the booklet sketches employed heavy lines, the illustrations on the first dolls’ packaging were mostly without lines, except where needed, as in their…
sheathsensation
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Skipper’s Schoolroom (1965) and the play sets that never were
A Sears exclusive in 1965 and 1966, Skipper’s Schoolroom was notable as the first Mattel play set where Barbie went only to work (she may have worked or shopped at the Fashion Shop, and the Little Theatre similarly had multiple uses), as well as the last public space introduced to the Barbiesphere for a handful…
sheathsensation
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Barbie’s Keys to Fame
Illustrations from the Keys to Fame game. Source for all images in this post: statestpac2011 on eBay. A funny little mid-Sixties board game, Barbie’s Keys to Fame illustrates a number of possible futures for the one-time Teen-Aged Fashion Model, each emblematic of a “key” to fame: the stamina of the Ballerina, the style of the…
sheathsensation
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Fashion Booklets
The first, foremost, and most famous source of vintage Barbie illustrations is, of course, the fashion booklet. When we assess the drawings on items like carrying cases, doll packaging, and sewing patterns, our evaluations often center on similarities to and differences from the booklet versions. Within the booklets, there are hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations to…
sheathsensation
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Random House Books (1962-1965)
Starting in 1962, Random House released a series of books set in the Barbieverse, and naturally, those books were illustrated. By themselves, the books’ covers, like those above, form a nice collection of illustrations; however, the interiors have even more to offer, and we’ll detail a few favorites here. Almost unique within the annals of…
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Whitman Coloring Books (1962-1965)
Whitman’s coloring books are the Midge to their own paper dolls’ Barbie: a little less popular, a little less pretty, but still they hold a special place in our hearts. You can recognize the cover art, above, from paper dolls, fashion booklets and other media; the interior pages, however, are almost totally unique. One thing…
sheathsensation
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Barbie’s Fashion Shop (1963)
What is it that makes a doll boutique so desirable? I always wanted one as a child. Did my young mind subconsciously believe that the shop would refill with new designs as Barbie “purchased” them? Is it an aspiration to consumption, and a desire to incorporate the act into make-believe? Or would it simply render…
Silken Flame 