One dreamed of a doll that would let girls imagine who they could become; the other wanted small cars that looked much more exciting than the toys of the time. And they shared the same home.
Ruth and Elliot Handler married in 1938 and years later co-founded Mattel with Harold “Matt” Matson. The company started as a small business and ended up becoming one of the best-known toy companies in the world.
Ruth got the idea for Barbie after watching her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls and imagine them as grown women. The doll debuted in 1959 and was named after her.
Elliot, meanwhile, was behind the development of Hot Wheels, which appeared in 1968 with a clear idea: to create small cars with eye-catching designs and wheels that would actually let them race.
And even their children were immortalized in that family story: Barbie was named after Barbara and Ken after their son, Kenneth. Behind two toys that went on to shape generations was a couple who turned their own family’s ideas into part of popular culture.
One dreamed of a doll that would let girls imagine who they could become; the other wanted small cars that looked much more exciting than the toys of the time. And they shared the same home.
Ruth and Elliot Handler married in 1938 and years later co-founded Mattel with Harold “Matt” Matson. The company started as a small business and ended up becoming one of the best-known toy companies in the world.
Ruth got the idea for Barbie after watching her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls and imagine them as grown women. The doll debuted in 1959 and was named after her.
Elliot, meanwhile, was behind the development of Hot Wheels, which appeared in 1968 with a clear idea: to create small cars with eye-catching designs and wheels that would actually let them race.
And even their children were immortalized in that family story: Barbie was named after Barbara and Ken after their son, Kenneth. Behind two toys that went on to shape generations was a couple who turned their own family’s ideas into part of popular culture.