Women in Innovation for World IP Day: Ruth Handler

Whether you spent hours hosting pool parties in your bedroom, or stole and dismembered your little sisters’ favourite, at some time in our childhood most of us have come across a Barbie doll. A classic toy there’s no denying, but have you ever wondered how she came in to play? Ruth Handler was born in Denver, Colorado in 1916. She married her high-school sweetheart Elliot Handler, and moved to LA in 1938, where they began a furniture business. Her husband later joined forces with business partner Harold Matson, and formed a toy manufacturing company, Mattel. Ruth had noticed how her daughter would often play with paper dolls, role-playing and giving them adult personas. At the time, the most predominant dolls available for children were modelled on babies, and Ruth saw a gap in the market. At first her husband dismissed her idea, believing parents wouldn’t want to purchase a doll with such a ‘shapely figure’ for their children. But Ruth had faith in her idea, and after stumbling across a similar model when on a trip to Germany, she paired with missile engineer Jack Ryan to create a design. She then presented her idea - the Barbie doll - to her husband once more. Mattel pursued production and the doll debuted at the New York toy fair in March, 1959 – Barbara ‘Barbie’ Millicent Roberts, named after the couple’s daughter, Barbara. Although Barbie’s success was slow starting, sales sky rocketed after Mattel invested in television advertising, and became one of the best selling toys of all time. Mattel soon added a male doll, Ken – named after their son Kenneth, and many other accessories to the ever-growing Barbie Empire.

In addition to the impact she and Barbie made and still makes on children all over the world, Ruth went on to make waves in a new space. Ruth was two-time breast cancer survivor, and underwent a modified radical mastectomy to combat the disease. She found that she had difficulty finding a breast prosthesis she was comfortable with, so went on to founder ‘Ruthton Corp.’ with business partner Peyton Massey. The business developed a new, more realistic prosthesis which they named ‘Nearly Me’ in 1976, and continue to produce products for breast cancer patients and survivors to this day.