Ruth named the doll Barbie, after her daughter. The first model went on display in March 1959 at the annual Toy Fair in New York City. In Barbie’s first television ad, broadcast that same year ...

It colored our ambitions, our sense of self, our relationships, our bodies, our work, and our art.

Like many in America, Todd Martens grew up with parents who devoted the bulk of their vacation time to Disney’s theme parks. He now understands them as places to make sense of the world rather ...