Object Details
- Summary
- This American flag is an accessory for the Miss Astronaut silver spacesuit created by Mattel in 1965.
- Invented by Mattel Toys co-founder Ruth Handler in 1958, Barbie dolls were conceived as a toy that would allow children to play with a doll of an adult woman, not a baby or child/companion. As such, Barbie dolls allowed their owners to act out the life of a "single career girl." In the history of this immensely-popular and iconic toy, the Barbie doll has taken on several aviation- and space-themed jobs, including several versions of Barbie as a stewardess, astronaut, or pilot. Ironically, Barbie's role as "Miss Astronaut" with her Project Mercury-style silver spacesuit came years before women became a part of NASA's astronaut corps in 1978.
- This doll and costume was donated to the Museum by Mattel in 1995.
- Data Source
- National Air and Space Museum
- Manufacturer
- Mattel, Inc.
- Date
- ca. 1964
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mattel, Inc., El Segundo, CA
- Materials
- Synthetic fabric, wood
- Dimensions
- 3-D: 5.1 x 8.9cm (2 x 3 1/2 in.)
- Type
- MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
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