BILDLILLI, doll, Germany, 19551964 and HONG KONG LILLI, made in Hong


A BildLilli doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

A Bild Lilli doll from 1955 — the racier ancestor of Mattel's "Barbie" doll — is shown at a 2006 convention. (Frank Hormann/AP) 5 min


BILDLILLI, Doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

Barbie had a sister—Bild-Lilli, a racy doll marketed to men. And though the risqué 1955 doll has largely been overshadowed by the success of the American toy, she plays a part in the origin.


Original Large Bild Lilli 3 Piece Outfit 1151 1118 Prym Snaps 1950'S

First created as a comic-strip character in the Hamburg newspaper Bild-Zeitung, the Bild Lilli doll became so popular that she was immortalized in plastic — and sold as an adult novelty,.


A BildLilli doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

The Bild Lilli doll was a West German line of fashion doll launched by Greiner & Hausser GmbH on August 12, 1955, and produced until 1964. Its design was based on the comic-strip character Lilli, created by Reinhard Beuthien for the tabloid newspaper Bild.


Lilli & Her Sisters... Fashion dolls, Vintage barbie, Barbie fashion

Bild Lilli was as innovative of a doll as she was scandalous. Lilli wasn't only the world's first mass-marketed plastic fashion doll; she was also the first to come in different sizes. While the 12-inch dolls are the more famous, there were also 7-inch dolls sold at slightly lower prices but made just as well.


A BildLilli doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

Bild Lilli doll was a German fashion doll launched on August 12, 1955 and produced until 1964. Its design was based on the comic-strip character Lilli, created by Reinhard Beuthien for the German tabloid newspaper Bild. The doll was made of palystyrene, came in two sizes, and had an available wardrobe of 1950s fashion..


BILDLILLI, Doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

Barbie's appearance was modeled after a doll named the Bild Lilli, which had been inspired by a German comic-strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift that men could buy in.


BILDLILLI, doll, Germany, 19551964 and HONG KONG LILLI, made in Hong

Bild Lilli: The 'adult' doll on which Barbie was modelled Premium Bild Lilli: The 'adult' doll on which Barbie was modelled As Greta Gerwig's Barbie continues to set global box offices on fire, a look at the German doll which was its inspiration. Written by Vandana Kalra follow New Delhi | Updated: July 28, 2023 10:17 IST Follow Us


BILDLILLI, doll, Germany, 19551964 and HONG KONG LILLI, made in Hong

This Bild Lilli doll was a platinum blonde, blue-eyed bombshell with large breasts. She wore red lipstick and blue eyeliner. Her feet were molded into black stilettos and she had arched eyebrows and sultry side-glancing eyes.


A BildLilli doll, Germany 19551964. Bukowskis

The doll was Bild Lilli, based on a newspaper comic strip character originally aimed primarily at men, in German newspapers. (Europe has a long tradition of cartoons for adult audiences such as Asterix or Tintin .)


BILDLILLI, doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

Bild-Lilli doll. Unlike the German doll, the American Barbie has slightly more wholesome features. She still had a similar, curvy build. However, the makeup was lessened and helped the dolls to appear a bit more kid-friendly. The feet of the American Barbies are also quite different from the feet of the Bild Lilli dolls.


BILDLILLI, Doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

To make things more complicated for Bild Lilli fans, the Marx Toy Company of Hong-Kong licensed the doll design and created their own line of Bild Lilli 'clones' between the 1950s and 1960s.


Bild Lilli Vintage Barbie Dolls, Mattel Barbie, Barbie And Ken, Lilly

A Bild Lilli doll, inspired by a German comic strip, is displayed at a Barbie collectors convention in 2006. While on the trip, Handler and a teenaged Barbara came across a Bild Lilli novelty doll.


A BildLilli doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

Bild Lilli is the doll that Ruth Handler found while shopping in Europe in 1956 and was exactly the kind of a doll she had been thinking of producing. Mrs. Handler noticed her daughter Barbie preferred playing with her paper dolls rather than baby dolls that were prevalent at the time.


Bild Lilli doll with her original outfit she's 71/2 in… Flickr

The original Lilli dolls were made of plastic with jointed arms and legs. The value of a Bild Lilli Doll depends on several factors such as its condition, whether it is complete with all accessories, and whether it has been professionally restored. Generally speaking, a mint condition Bild Lilli Doll can fetch anywhere from $500 to $5,000 at.


A BildLilli doll, Germany, 19551964. Bukowskis

The inspiration for all-American Barbie is Bild-Lilli, a doll with familiar blond hair and wasp waist that first appeared in 1955. The doll was in turn inspired by a cartoon, and a chance.