The iconic American toy doll, Barbie, debuted in 1959 and has been a cultural mainstay for more than six decades. An exhibit this spring at the Cincinnati Museum Center explores the fashion, the history, and the phenomenon that is the Barbie doll.
Barbie: A Cultural Icon features more than 300 objects, ranging from the very first Barbie doll to clothing, accessories and multi-media interviews with Barbie designers through the years.
"In addition to Barbie No. 1, we have 149 other Barbie dolls; 150 other artifacts, including an original Barbie Dream House; some prototypes that have never been seen before; some of the more infamous Barbie dolls; and a full-size Barbie Corvette," says Cody Hefner, vice president of marketing and communications for the Cincinnati Museum Center.
RELATED: Don't forget: Some museums are now free for Ohio 4th graders
Hefner says Barbie is an important part of American history because the doll showed kids what was possible. Seeing a Barbie doll as a doctor or a scientist or an astronaut, he points out, may have been the first time a child saw a woman in those roles.
"We see Barbie kind of reflecting culture back to us, but also stepping ahead of culture and showing us where we could go," he says.
The exhibit doesn't shy away from some of the criticisms the doll has faced over the years either, he confirms. For example, Barbie wasn't always representative of all people and cultures.
"It does deal with that history of, yes, Barbie has evolved, but how quickly and how much was Barbie behind the eight ball on some of these issues, and how did it catch up? And how did it get ahead? So it is a full history of Barbie," says Hefner. "It's not always glowing, but it is a faithful chronology of Barbie."
RELATED: Netflix’s ‘Black Barbie’ explores the creation of a doll that impacted generations
He says the museum hopes visitors will rethink their relationship with the toy and understand how a toy can be a barometer of culture.
Barbie: A Cultural Icon runs April 4 - Sept. 1, 2025. Ticket gift packages are on sale now for the holidays.
The Cincinnati Museum Center is a financial supporter of Cincinnati Public Radio.
