Of all of Mattel’s fashion dolls, Barbie has been the company’s most popular and recognizable. Since her first appearance in 1959, Barbie has been a style legend and an encouraging leader for children of all ages. But did you know that the Barbie brand has also created dolls for women famous throughout history?
As part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series, these female figures’ likenesses were transformed into products for children and doll collectors to purchase and enjoy. Whether you see these toys as an impressive testament to women’s strength or see them as the uncomfortable commercializing of real people, here are some historical figures who got their own Barbie doll.
10 Helen Keller
Everyone knows about Helen Keller. An advocate, author, and public speaker who, in her infancy, lost both her sight and hearing, Keller graduated from Radcliff College (now merged with Harvard University) and went on to raise awareness for those with the same deafblind disabilities as herself.
Keller’s doll reflects the fashion she wore during her time in school. Her likeness holds a Braille book in her hands and wears a ruffled and laced high-neck blouse and a blue-striped, pink skirt. Today, Keller’s works and accomplishments encourage those with disabilities to continue reaching for their goals and dreams.
9 Susan B. Anthony
It’s hard to believe that a little over a hundred years ago, women were finally allowed to vote (at least, some were). Yet during the presidential election of 1872, Susan B. Anthony, as an act of protest, voted and faced a criminal trial for her choice. An activist who fought for women’s rights and the abolishment of slavery in America, Susan B. Anthony was added to the Inspiring Women Series by Mattel in 2020.
Wearing a floor-length black dress with puffed sleeves and white laced details, a cameo brooch, and round glasses, Anthony’s doll aims to inspire girls and women to stand up for their rights and what they believe in.
8 Florence Nightingale
To this day, Florence Nightingale’s compassion continues to educate young nurses as they move forward in their careers. Recognized for her efforts in the Crimean War and the changes she strived to make for the future of all nurses, Nightingale was another figure who was given her own Barbie doll in 2020.
Known as The Lady of the Lamp, Nightingale’s doll comes dressed in a nineteenth-century-inspired nurse’s uniform. The uniform consists of a gray dress decorated with lace, a white apron, and a white cap. Across her chest lies a sash that says Scutari Hospital, where Nightingale served during the Crimean War. May adults and children always remember how Nightingale lit the way for others back in the 1850s.
7 Ella Fitzgerald
Called the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald’s musical career from the 1930s to the 1990s has persevered to this day thanks to Fitzgerald's iconic voice, her experimentation in genre, and her impact on the jazz soundscape.
For her doll, Fitzgerald's likeness wears a shimmering purple gown reminiscent of the stage outfits Fitzgerald used to perform in, a white brooch and purple heels. The doll also comes with a microphone, allowing those that purchased the toy to recreate some of Fitzgerald's most famous songs, such as Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.
6 Bessie Coleman
When you think of American female pilots, you probably think of Amelia Earhart. And although Earhart did receive a Barbie doll, she’s not the only woman who dared to fly. In 1921, Bessie Coleman was the first Black and Native American woman to receive an international pilot’s license in France and take to the skies.
A woman who, despite being denied lessons due to her race and gender in the States, went on to become an awe-inspiring flying legend, Coleman performed in countless airshows and advocated for the rights of Black aviators in America. Inspired by Coleman’s uniform, the lookalike doll sports a green jacket, green pants, long, laced black boots, a white scarf, and a pilot’s cap. Once again, this pilot is ready for takeoff.
5 Madam C. J. Walker
Madam C. J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, was one of the first documented Black women to become an American millionaire. The founder of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, Walker sold cosmetics and hair products marketed for a Black audience. Walker’s doll wears a flower-covered, high-necked, purple puffed-sleeve blouse, a blue floor-length skirt, and light blue boots.
Additionally, the doll also comes with a tiny tin replica of Walker’s hair product, called Madam C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower. Whether you play with or display this doll, you are guaranteed to remember Walker's accomplishments during the 1900s.
4 Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells was many things. She was a suffragist who spoke out for Black women’s rights, an activist for the Civil Rights Movement, and even a journalist. An icon for Black feminism and the co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Wells was added to the Inspiring Women Series in 2022.
Her doll wears a pair of black high heels and a floor-length, long puffed sleeved, dark blue dress decorated with black lace and ruffles. Wells’ doll also comes with a copy of the Memphis Free Speech, a Black newspaper that she was the co-owner and editor of in 1889. To this day, the NAACP continues to spread Wells' message for equality and justice.
3 Maya Angelou
Recognized for her coming-of-age autobiographies that delved into topics of racism, violence, and family, Maya Angelou was a highly regarded authoress and poet who received a Barbie doll in 2021. Besides the doll, Angelou received numerous honors during her lifetime, including the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Inspired by Angelou’s own outfits, the doll comes dressed in an orange floor-length, blue floral print dress, matching headscarf, and gold-colored jewelry. The toy also comes with Angelou’s critically acclaimed memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a heartbreaking yet hopeful biography of Angelou’s early childhood.
2 Anna May Wong
Celebrated and remembered as the first Chinese-American Hollywood breakout actress, Wong Liu Tsong, also known as Anna May Wong, performed in over sixty movies and received global stardom during the twentieth century.
The Mattel doll pays homage to Wong’s costume in Limehouse Blues and mimics the costume's dragon motif on the toy's red dress. The dress also features colorful flowers, a red scarf that falls across the doll's shoulders, and golden earrings and heels. In this look, Wong's doll is ready for any upcoming award show.
1 Rosa Parks
Known as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, the story of Rosa Parks is an important one. In 1955, Parks bravely refused to give up her seat after being told to accommodate white passengers who had boarded her bus after she did. Though Parks would get arrested, her actions were a turning point in confronting racial segregation and influenced both the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement.
As a doll, Parks holds a clutch and wears a cream-colored dress covered with a green and gray floral design, a gray coat, white gloves, and a black pillbox hat. For whoever purchases this doll, may they never forget Parks’ strength and tenacity all those years ago.