Ruth, Barbara and Elliot Handler (center photo)
invited all of their co-workers to Barbie's birthday party in 1974.
I have a newer Barbie reference book called All Dolled Up, by Jennie D'Amata, published by Running Press in 2009. What makes this book different from the others is that reproductions of various pieces of Barbie paperwork, including the first 1959 booklet, are included.
But what caught my eye is an invitation from Mattel for April 3, 1974, in conjunction with the release of Sweet 16 Barbie. I think the party was for Mattel employees. Mattel sent out invitations to a party at the Western Sales parking lot. It included an agenda for a birthday breakfast or lunch, cake and a performance by the Hawthorne High School Band.
I had never heard of this party before, probably because something happened that day that was horrible. The invitation freaked me out a little because of the April 3 date at the top. If you were a Silent Generation member, Baby Boomer or Generation X-er living east of the Mississippi River in 1974, you should remember this day well.
This was the date of the Super Cell tornadoes. If cable TV news had been available then, this series of horrible storms would have been the lead story for days. As it was, it merited a few minutes on the national evening news.
Look up the Sayler Park tornado. It formed in Rising Sun, IN, jumped the Ohio River into Taylorsport, KY, and then crossed over the Ohio River again! It demolished about half of Sayler Park, then climbed a large steep hill into Mack, Bridgetown (where I stll live) and Dent. I was 13; my sisters 11 and 8. Mom looked out the window and saw the twister (later rated an F-5) and screamed at us to go to the basement and get under the table there. It is the only time I can remember my mom screaming at us.
Nothing happened. The tornado lifted up a mile from our house, which lost a few shingles. I could write way more but it has nothing to do with Barbie dolls.