Dolls are one of the favorite toys of girls of all ages. They come in different shapes and forms, often very different from country to country. One of these, however, is known and sold all over the world: Barbie dolls. Owning one of these "American" dolls has been the dream of many girls for over fifty years. A toy in childhood can become a hobby or even an obsession in adult life. For all Barbie lovers from 1 to 100 years old, a permanent exhibition of over 1,200 Barbie dolls and over 3,000 accessories is prepared in the Dolls Land Gallery in Prague. Barbie dolls are interesting phenomena and can be seen in many different connotations. That's why I decided to visit this exhibition and analyze different aspects related to this extraordinary toy. 1950s – Barbie is bornThe first Barbie doll was introduced in 1959 by its inventor Ruth Handler. Barbie at that time looked different from other dolls. It wasn't a boy or a girl. She was a grown woman. She wore a black and white bathing suit and was blonde or brunette. The doll became popular very quickly. In the first year, approximately 350,000 dolls were sold. It is no coincidence that this type of doll was created and had such great success in the late 1950s and 1960s. If we look at American society at that time, we might see some interesting parallels. The social role of women changed after World War II. They were no longer needed in the industry and had to leave their jobs so that the men returning from the war had a place to work. The ideal woman at that time was the “feminine woman”. This meant that women did not have to fight for their political rights, they did not have to try to get a good education and be successful. Their life mission should be to take care of their husband... middle of paper... hey, provide for them. Some companies often target parents along with children. Adults make toys, and the products reflect the ideals of their inventor and designer. There has been a lot of controversy about Barbie dolls, but I don't think they are a bad toy for young children. It depends on how it is presented to him. They need to know the difference between fiction (toy) and real life. If parents had access to all toys and other products, there would be almost none that would be truly harmful to children. The Barbie doll can teach children that there are different types of people from different countries and that they are actually not that different. I think the Barbie doll will remain popular for a long time. It will change slightly according to society's ideals as before. There will still be people who hate the toy and people who love it.