Tag: vintage barbie
-
Sidebar: Barbie’s Baggage
Following are vintage illustrations of Barbie and other characters sporting baggage. For a rundown of vintage and nostalgic luggage suitable for Barbie dolls, check out the previous post. …and some not-Barbies:
-
Barbie’s Seventies Travelogue, the Appendix: What to Pack
In this series so far we’ve detailed how, during the Seventies, an array of vacation spots popped up for Barbie’s enjoyment. We’ve also seen how she gets from place to place, by land, air, or water. At this point she’s got all she needs, except… Barbie, you’re not packed! But what to pack? This latest…
-
Sidebar: Window Shopping
A recurring theme in fashion doll illustration… …plus a bonus: when the shopping gets real. Happy holidays from Silken Flame!
-
Barbie’s ’70s Travelogue, Part III: Arrive in Style
In the first two posts in this series, we covered new and exciting destinations that opened their doors to Barbie during the Seventies. Whether it was a ski holiday, a fishing trip, or a beach vacation, while Sixties Barbie could dress for the occasion, only Seventies Barbie ever arrived. But did she arrive… in style?…
-
Sidebar: Miss Lively Livin’ game (1970)
Because of its gorgeous design, we’ll briefly pause to appreciate one last Barbie board game of the vintage and mod eras, even though its art uses photographs in lieu of hand-illustrated characters. The whole package is such a sumptuous rainbow that it’s irresistible. Look closely at corner squares on the board to see shots of…
-
The Barbie World of Fashion game (1967)
We’ve noted before how the lush illustrations of the Queen of the Prom and Keys to Fame board games enriched the world of Barbie visuals in the early-mid ’60s. In the mod era “lush” was less on-trend, but 1967’s Barbie World of Fashion game, with its travel-focused play, was illuminated by bright, bold interpretations of…
-
Illustrated fashion packaging
Barbie’s early ensembles were sold in boxes with cellophane fronts that neatly displayed the contents, along with black-and-white illustrated backs featuring a bit of snappy text. Only for a short while did Barbie appear alone on any packages; once Midge was introduced, even the earlier fashions still in production came in updated packaging that included…
-
Japan-exclusive furniture (1967)
“There’s lots of fun furniture, too!” enthuses a 1967 Barbie booklet produced for the Japanese market. “Desks, chairs, reception sets, and other colorful furniture with a twist. Have even more fun with Barbie! Yellow dress with red chair… your dreams will fill your heart.” (Translation is very approximate.) And there are pictures, too. Two versions…
-
Sidebar: Go-Together furniture sets, illustrated
Our write up of Barbie’s Go-Together furniture for the many abodes of Barbie series pauses to appreciate the immersive representations on the sets’ packaging. Let’s revisit that imagery more comprehensively. The first box art featured ponytail Barbie. Two sets featured the Fashion Queen. In one illustration Barbie is a bubble cut, while another appropriately features…
-
Barbie’s ’70s Travelogue, Part II: Unofficial Adventures
Last time, we looked at play sets representing various far-flung locales frequented by Barbie in the Seventies. While Mattel was shuttling their characters between mountains and beach, other manufacturers concocted their own dream destinations for Barbie and her rivals. Let’s review a few that helped further expand Barbie’s horizons. A-frame Ski Lodge by Omlie Industries…
sheathsensation
Silken Flame 