My wife was making cookies and listening to Christmas music on the television in the kitchen. Every few minutes the channel would display some interesting fact about the holidays. One such message read: The classic Christmas gift Barbie was inspired by the German doll Lilli.
I learned that the Bild Lilli Doll was a German fashion doll produced from 1955 to 1964, based on the comic-strip character Lilli. She was the predecessor of the most famous doll in the world: Barbie.
Lilli was available in the sizes 12 inches and 7 and a half inches. She held three patents absolutely new in doll-making: The head wasn't connected to the neck but ended at the chin; the hair wasn't rooted but a cut-out scalp that was attached by a hidden metal screw; the legs didn't sprawl open when she was sitting. The doll was made of plastic and had molded eyelashes, pale skin and a painted face with side glancing eyes, high narrow eyebrows and red lips. Her fingernails were painted red too. She wore her hair in a ponytail with one curl kissing the forehead. Her shoes and earrings were molded on. Her limbs were attached inside by coated rubber bands.
When Mattel acquired the rights to Lilli in 1964, the German production stopped.
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