It is very likely that the Barbie we all know would not exist today without the existence of a feminine and bold character invented for the amusement of men. The character described is none other than Bild Lilly, a character in a risqué adult-themed German comic strip from the 1950s (Cross, 2013 & Wolfe, 2023). The character of Bild Lilly was portrayed as a sassy and flirtatious woman from Hamburg. She also had a lot of self-confidence and was therefore a symbol of inspiration, dreams, and the evolving role of women in society (Wolfe, 2023).
In addition, she also served as a sex symbol for men (Cross, 2013). The comics about Picture Lilly were mostly about her many exciting adventures and relationships with men and her humorous responses to their advances (Wolfe, 2023). As the comic figure was a great success in Germany, it was brought onto the market as a physical doll in 1955. The Bild Lilly doll, like the Bild Lilly comic figure, was targeted at adults especially men (Cross, 2013 & Wolfe, 2023). In tobacco stores, bars, and adult-themed stores, men mostly bought the doll as a gag gift or to place on their car desks. (Cross, 2013 &Dean, 2023)
But what is the connection between the Bild Lilly doll and Barbie? In the mid-50s, a woman called Ruth Handler went on a trip to Europe and I became aware of the Bild Lilly doll (Cross, 2013). As she was immediately convinced of the doll's potential, she bought several of them and took them with her to the United States, where she showed the doll to her husband, who is co-founder of Mattel (Wolfe, 2023). Based on the picture of the Lilly doll, Mattel introduced the new toy doll for young children in 1959. And they called her: Barbie (Wolfe, 2023).