Barbie and Ken catalogue – 1962

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I recently picked up three 1962 Barbie in-pack booklets. These beautifully illustrated catalogues show the fashion range available back when Barbie was just 3 years old – amazing to think she’s still going strong today at 60! Alongside dozens of fashion items for Barbie, Midge and Ken, other gems found inside the catalogues are the Barbie board game, the Dream House and Fashion Shop, knitting patterns, Trousseau Set and the Barbie fan club and magazine.

Below are scans from the first booklet – Barbie and Ken – the others to follow another time soon. Click images to go bigger and enjoy 🙂

As always, thanks for looking 🙂

22 thoughts on “Barbie and Ken catalogue – 1962”

  1. Such a vexing mystery! There was a Whitman-published color-by-number coloring book that came out in 1962; the illustrations are credited to Al Andersen and Adam Szwejkowski. Not in the same style as the catalogs of course for obvious reasons.

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  2. I am also looking to find out who the artist is I have a Bobbie Brooks illustration it looks like the same artist who illustrated the catalogs it is signed Suzy but I can find no information!!!

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  4. Who was the artist who did these fashion illustrations? I have two classic Barbie dolls and this catalog is wonderful- I still have mine, and clothing, from this era, but can’t locate the artist who did the wonderful illustrations. I also have the Barbie Queen if the Prom board game – more great art by what appears to be the same artist. Any info you may have would be welcome! Thank you.

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    • Hi Julie, thanks for stopping by. I never tire of showing Barbie off here at TVTA, and it’s good to hear you still have some childhood Barbie dolls, plus the board game!
      Alas, all the Barbie catalogues and ads I own are uncredited re artists, but my best bet would be Mattel’s fashion designer Charlotte Johnson who was involved in the original creation of Barbie’s wardrobe. If not Charlotte Johnson then it may have been Carol Spencer who was an early Barbie wardrobe designer. There are refs to both online, so with a bit of digging you might be able to pin down if they did the art as well as the actual clothes. My other guess would be it was an in-house Mattel artist, or it was outsourced to a private artist.
      Hope that helps a bit.

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  6. Ahh, I love Barbie! This is really great. I was definitely influenced by Barbie. Look at all the Art Gowns I do on my Judy. They are my adult dolls, in a way. Also, every Art Gown has a name, just as each Barbie outfit has a name. I wonder if I sub-consciously drew on that?
    Anyway, at some point I’ll do, with your permission, a Barbie Section … in one of my Art Gowns Updates posts, and use some of your pics. Of course you will get full credits and cheers from me.
    If you don’t like this idea, no problem. I’m easy!

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