She looks like Barbie, the all-American doll, but it isn’t. That’s Bild Lilli, a German cutie who preceded Barbie by several years.
Lilli was originally a cartoon character created by German cartoonist Reinhard Beuthien for a "filler" on June 24, 1952 for the newspaper Bild-Zeitung in Hamburg, Germany. She became very popular as a curvy gal who knew what she wanted and went about her business to get it. If not actually a prostitute, Lilli was a gold-digger. She liked expensive jewelry and fancy clothes, and she did have a knack for attracting wealthy men.
A short time later Reinhard decided to produce a doll based on his character and it was the Hausser/Elastolin company that created and produced the Bild Lilli doll.
Lilli was first sold in Germany on August 12, 1955. At first, she was usually found in smoke shops and marketed to men, with outfits including the see-through negligee above . Later, she got some more respectable clothing and was marketed through toy stores to little girls.
If Barbie wasn’t an outright copy, you’ll have to admit that the resemblance is still remarkable. That’s the original Barbie from 1959 on the left, and Lilli (circa 1955) on the right.
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