3-D: 7 x 3.8 x 29.2cm (2 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.)
Type:
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Country of Origin:
CHINA
Date:
ca. 1994
Summary:
This Toys R' Us Astronaut Barbie doll issued by Mattel in 1994 commemorates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon by Apollo 11 in 1969.
Invented by Mattel Toys co-founder Ruth Handler in 1958, Barbie dolls were conceived as a toy that would allow children to play with a doll of an adult woman, not a baby or child/companion. As such, Barbie dolls allowed their owners to act out the life of a young woman with a career. In the history of this popular toy, the Barbie doll has taken on several aviation- and space-themed jobs, including several versions of Barbie as a stewardess, astronaut, and pilot.
Although several different Barbie dolls have been issued dressed in space-themed outfits, this depiction of the doll as an Apollo astronaut did not attempt a precise representation. The design is more commemorative than accurate.
This doll and costume was donated to the Museum by Mattel in 1995.