Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler (* November 4, 1916 in Denver, Colorado, USA; † 27 April 2002) was, together with her husband Elliot Handler and Harold Matson, the founder of the American toy company Mattel and is considered the " mother" of the Barbie doll.

Ruth Handler was born in 1916 as the youngest daughter of Polish immigrants Jacob Joseph Mosko and Ida Rubenstein in Denver. In 1938 she married Elliot Handler. The couple founded in 1945 along with Matson a small company to manufacture picture frames and dollhouse furniture. Since the doll furniture sold well, the company specialized in the production of various toys.

On a European trip, Ruth Handler discovered in Switzerland in a shop window mannequin a German doll named Lilli, which she bought for her daughter Barbara. This doll was the inspiration for the Barbie doll, which Mattel sold from 1959. The entrepreneur explained later, they think it is important for the development of the female self-esteem that girls play with dolls that have a bosom. Critics complained, however, that the proportions of Barbie - big breasts, extremely narrow waist, long legs - mainly male desires correspond and therefore it is not suitable as a toy. Barbie, however, was from the beginning a bestseller and established the success of Mattel. They sold millions of copies worldwide every year until today.

1967 Ruth Handler was the president of the company. In the 70 years she contracted breast cancer and retired from leadership Mattel. After her breast surgery, she realized that the time available for breast prostheses few women were well suited. They therefore established itself a company to manufacture high quality breast prostheses and called it Nearly Me

She died in 2002 at the age of 85 years and was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City ( California). Her husband and business partner Elliot Handler died on 21 July 2011 at the age of 95 in Los Angeles of heart failure.

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