After all, a quick walk down Ocean Drive will show you that "life in plastic" is more than just a tagline here.
Staged at the museum's 1912 Viele House, "Barbie Girl! A Collector's Showcase" pays homage to the doll's pop culture takeover last summer while stirring up nostalgic affection for her 65-year journey. On display are more than 300 Barbies with accompanying accessories and memorabilia spanning six decades, just a small peek into curator and collector Constance Ruppender's personal collection.
Ruppender's history with the Mattel doll started when she was 8 years old and was gifted her prized 1960 No. 3 Ponytail Barbie. Donning poodle curls and a vintage hand-painted face, this model was often sold alongside Barbie's debut outfit, a 1959 zebra-print swimsuit also featured in the exhibition. It is currently valued at $1,000.
"I love fashion, and Barbie is the queen of the fashion world," Ruppender tells New Times about what drew her to the doll and sparked her to start collecting. "She's an international fashion icon, and all of the great designers have dressed her at one point or another."
Though the 1912 home seems an unlikely venue to house the decade-hopping career woman, "Barbie Girl!" is an extension of Ruppender's years-long relationship with the Old Davie School. She was the museum's executive director in the early 2000s and founded its annual Tea With Barbie event in 2011. When current executive director Leslie Schroeder proposed that the collector rehome her Barbies for the exhibition, it only took a quick think in her doll room before she hauled boxes of beige and blonde vinyl outfitted in endless shades of pink.
The result? A 30-minute journey through Barbie's rose-colored history.
Curator and collector Constance Ruppender (right) and Old Davie School Historical Museum executive director Leslie Schroeder
Photo by Constance Ruppender
Ruppender guarantees that each visitor will find a doll that speaks to their unique personality, emphasizing Barbie's uncanny ability to bring much more than just aesthetics to the table.
"That's the fun thing about Barbie — each person has a different take on her," she explains. "I've stood in line at the grocery store wearing a Barbie T-shirt, and the person behind me or in front of me will comment. Next thing you know, we're having a deep discussion about her social impact and the significance of what she's done. Every person has a Barbie story, even people who don't like her."
She maintains that while the outfit opportunities hooked her in, it's the doll's influential role in women's empowerment that keeps her a lifelong fan and is the heartbeat of the showcase.
"Barbie made it so that girls could do whatever they wanted to. She had all these careers that inspired young girls and women to want more," Ruppender emphasizes. "That was what Barbie creator Ruth Handler wanted — for girls to imagine what they could be. To me, that's the most powerful thing Barbie's done."
"Barbie Girl! A Collector's Showcase." On view through Friday, July 26, at Old Davie School Historical Museum, 6650 Griffin Rd., Davie; 954-797-1044; olddavieschool.org. Tickets cost $10.
