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Doll:Olympic Gymnast Barbie

Mattel, Inc.1995

The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester , United States

Introduced by Mattel, Inc., in 1959, Barbie dominates the doll world like no other doll. Today, annual sales for Barbie reach into the billions of dollars. Barbie's popularity since her introduction, however, has not been consistent. In the 1970s, many mothers and feminists condemned Barbie for encouraging little girls to think of themselves as manikins, sex objects, and housekeepers. By the early 1980s, Mattel had refocused Barbie from the ultimate consumer and party girl to a more career-oriented and culturally inclusive figure. Mattel issued more Barbies as astronauts, pilots, engineers, race car drivers, doctors, and dentists with the slogan, "We girls can do anything."

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  • Title: Doll:Olympic Gymnast Barbie
  • Creator: Mattel, Inc.
  • Date Created: 1995
  • Location: China
  • Subject Keywords: Barbie
  • Type: Barbie
  • Medium: vinyl, molded plastic, printed cardboard, synthetic hair, paint, fabric
  • Object ID: 114.385
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jeanne McIntosh in Memory of Robert McIntosh
The Strong National Museum of Play

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