Beginnings
Bild-Lilli, the inspiration for the Barbie doll, began as a sexy cartoon character, created by Reinhard Beuthien in the early 50's. Bild-Lilli first appeared as a cartoon charcter in the German Bild newpaper on June 24, 1952. Bild-Lilli's adventures found immediate appeal with readers, especially the male readers,and it was decided to create a doll in Lilli's likeness.
The result was the Bild-Lilli doll, now much sought after by doll collectors. She was later to be the direct inspiration for the Barbie doll. With her hair in a high ponytail and exaggerated figure, the resemblance to the early Barbie doll is undeniable.
Bild-Lilli Outfits
The chief designer of the clothes was Martha Maar. She designed a range of outfits for Lilli. Bild-Lilli outfits were also sold separately, including sports clothes, dresses and suits. Lilli quickly gained popularity with little girls in Germany. Bild-Lilli dolls and their original outfits are now highly prized by collectors, and are expensive to buy, so it is important to know how to identify original Lilli clothing, if you are planning to buy an original. There are original Lilli catalogs in existence as a useful record.
Lilli Reference Book
There are few reference books for Bild-Lilli collectors. The most comprehensive is Dutsche Modepuppen der 50er & 60er German Fashion dolls of the 50's & 60's an excellent book by Silke Knaak which I highly recommend as the definitive guide for Bild-Lilli collectors. This well-researched book shows most, if not all of the Lilli outfits ever made.
There is one for sale on eBay
Available at the time of writing: CLICK HERE for the eBay listing.
Bild-Lilli Production
Max Weissbrodt, of the Hausser/Elastolin company in Neustadt/Coburg, Germany designed the first Lilli doll, an 11 1/2" doll, made of plastic (elastoline) coated with paint, with hand-painted painted features, the shoes were molded on as part of the leg. The Bild-Lilli doll was produced in two sizes, a smaller version of Lilli, 7 1/2" tall, could be suspended from the rear view mirror of a car, on a little swing. A special stand was designed to support the doll in a standing position, on a single metal bar that goes up the leg through a hole bottom of the foot. The first Barbie doll was also supported through a hole in the bottom of the feet.
PRYM snaps
An identifying feature of the Lilli outfit is a specially made PRYM snap. The PRYM snaps were a special order for the Lilli factory, they are painted to match the outfit on the top snap, and there is heart type design engraved on the silver of the bottom snap.
Outfits
Original Bild-Lilli 1950s MORITZ GOTTSCHALK East German-made Doll house Store Display from Dusseldorf
This Drei-M 1950s Bild-Lilli shop display piece is for sale on Etsy.com was made for the windows of a dusseldorf shop and intended to display several small 7.5" Bild-lilli dolls.
As described on the Etsy sales page this piece is said to have come directly from Herr Rolf Hausser the maker of Bild -Lilli.
This display piece was made by the Moritz Gottschalk firm who made doll houses East Germany.
Link to more details on Etsy
