5 Lesser-Known Facts About Ruth Handler, The Creator Of Barbie You Probably Didn’t Know
Ruth made the greatest invention!
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie hits theatres on July 21, and the world has been painted pink by Barbie lovers! And why not? This special occasion needs to be celebrated in the right way! Social media is full of posts from people dressing up as Barbie characters and doing Barbie makeup and the ones who saw the film have shared raving reviews about it too! But amid this Barbie chatter, we seemed to have forgotten the woman who gave us this iconic doll in the first place. Ruth Handler, the American businesswoman, is the creator of Barbie, and you ought to know these lesser-known things about her.
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Who is Ruth Handler?
Ruth Handler finds her roots in Poland and was born to the immigrant couple Jacob and Ida Moskowicz. It is reported by PBS Org that she married her high-school boyfriend Elliot Handler who was a furniture manufacturer. When furniture sales fell during World War II, Elliot decided to get into the toy furniture business. Ruth and Elliot got into a partnership with Harold “Matt” Matson, the founder of Mattle alongside the couple.
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Worked at Paramount studios
Before donning the entrepreneurial hat, Ruth Handler worked at Paramount Studios as a movie studio secretary.
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Ruth’s daughter inspired her to make Barbie
Ruth Handler saw that her daughter and her friends were playing with paper dolls, and felt the need to make 3D dolls because the little girls were visualising themselves and their dreams in those toy figures. The name Barbie is derived from Barbara, Ruth’s daughter. She also made the Ken doll and named him after her son.
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Cancer Diagnosis
Ruth Handler had developed breast cancer in 1970, and passed away at the age of 85 in 2002 due to complications post her colon cancer surgery. Before her passing, she developed breast prosthetics for women who suffered like her, and made a company named Nearly Me.
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Also read: How To Get Picture-Perfect Doll Like Heels As Margot Robbie In The Movie Barbie
Fraud Charges
Fraud charges against Ruth and Elliot led her to resign from Mattle and leave the company in 1975. Ruth Handler was indicted on the grounds of false reporting and was charged a $57,000 fine,and she also had to dedicate 2,500 hours to community service.
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Interestingly, the old woman you see in the Barbie movie is Barbara Handler, Ruth’s daughter!
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First Published: July 21, 2023 2:20 PM
