Bild Lilli - Proto Barbie and Porno Barbie

I always thought Barbie dolls were as American as apple pie and unfettered capitalism. But as I learned this week from one's of my husband's students, she actually has obscure roots on the other side of the globe. And her German predecessor, Bild Lilli, was a much bawdier gal than our Barbie.


The original sexy fashion doll was a spin-off of a West German tabloid, the Bild-Zeitung, which launched a cartoon in 1952 featuring a sassy, smart-mouthed young woman named Lilli who favored expensive boyfriends, and lots of 'em. The Lilli doll went on the market in 1955, one of the frivolous products West Germans could now afford thanks to their post-World War II "economic miracle.

Late in her career (which ended when production stopped in 1964), Bild Lilli was increasingly marketed to girls, and her wardrobe included dirndls and other folkloric German costumes. She crossed the Atlantic with Mattel's co-owner Ruth Handler, in 1956, and hit the American market in 1959, re-christened as Barbie.




But originally, Lilli was marketed to men, believe it or not, and sold in such venues as tobacco shops. The limited information available on the web repeatedly describes Lilli as a "sex doll."

Clearly, her blouses were scantier than the norm for the era ...

... and her skirts shorter ...


... but I imagine it was outfits like this one that clinched her reputation as the girl you'd want as your date on any occasion, as one advertising brochure claimed.

Some have viewed her literally as a prostitute, and she's also been compared to fetish model Betty Page.










Now, when I was in grade school my friends and I did as many naughty things with Barbie and Ken as were anatomically possible. (Which meant they had a very limited love life indeed.) But I'm still trying to figure out how the heck Bild Lilli could be a sex doll.

Apparently men posed her on their rear-view mirrors, which might be erotic, considering the relationship some men have with their cars. What else a man could do with an 11 1/2" doll escapes my imagination.

Then again, maybe this party get-up provided some inspiration. That champagne bottle is sure at a jaunty angle.















Sources for images:
first, third, and fifth photos are from Dollopedia
the fourth photo is by flicker user teadrinker
the second and final two photos are from Bisque-Dolls