To commemorate the 65th anniversary of the world’s most famous doll, London’s Design Museum has opened “Barbie: The Exhibition,” showcasing over 250 objects related to the evolution of the iconic and at times controversial Mattel toy, including over 180 iterations of the Barbie doll herself.
The show follows in the wake of the veritable Barbiemania that surrounded Greta Gerwig’s hit live-action movie, which starred Margot Robbie as the titular character, accompanied by a charismatic Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend-cum-sidekick, Ken.
Number 1 Barbie, on view at the Design Museum, London. Photo © Jo Underhill.
Some of the show’s highlights include a 1959 first edition Barbie wearing a striped swimsuit and distinct ponytail, known to collectors as the “Number 1 Barbie,” and a one-of-a-kind prototype of a 1968 Talking Barbie, with a transparent torso to showcase the voice mechanism.
Installation view of “Barbie: The Exhibition” at the Design Museum, London. © Jo Underhill.
Other bestselling dolls are on display, such as the “surfer girl” Sunset Malibu Barbie from 1971 and the groundbreaking Day to Night Barbie from 1985, which focused on the character as the archetypal “have it all” career woman. The exhibition also features two examples of the 1992 Totally Hair Barbie, the best-selling Barbie of all time thanks to its long, crimped locks, with over 10 million dolls sold globally.
Installation view of “Barbie: The Exhibition” at the Design Museum, London. © Jo Underhill.
Museum-goers can also experience Barbie’s evolution in terms of both appearance and the lifestyle she embodies, reflecting societal shifts and questions of diversity and representation. Her cultural impact is celebrated too, from the revolutionary idea of a glamorous and adult (as opposed to babyish) doll settled on by Mattel founder Ruth Handler, to her influence on fashion, art and music, including Vogue covers, a collaboration with Andy Warhol, homages from Billie Eilish and more besides.
Installation view of “Barbie: The Exhibition” at the Design Museum, London. © Jo Underhill.
The Italian astronaut Samantha Christoforetti, the first ever female commander of the International Space Station, brought an astronaut Barbie doll in her likeness with her to the space station in 2022, where it spent six months orbiting the earth. Christoforetti hoped that videos of the spacesuit-clad doll spinning in zero-gravity would inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers. The doll makes its first public debut at the Design Museum.
1962 Barbie Dream House. © Mattel, Inc.
The exhibition also celebrates Barbie’s friends, including Midge, Christie, Teresa, and Skipper, and dedicates a section to Ken, showcasing his evolution since his introduction in 1961. The architecture and design that has built Barbie’s world—in a specific shade of patented pink—is also commemorated, particularly the Dream House. An early example, which is modernist in style and made from cardboard, as opposed to the better known sugary shades of plastic, is also on display.
“Barbie: The Exhibition” is on view at the Design Museum, 224–238 Kensington High St, London, through February 23, 2025.