Barbie at 50

The original 1959 Barbie doll Photograph: AP

1993: Hollywood Hair Barbie Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

1995: Barbie doll fair, Paris, France Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

1986: Astronaut Barbie Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

1961: Registered nurse Barbie Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

1961: A girl sings along with a 7" record called 'Barbie Sings'. Two dolls, Barbie and Ken, stand on the phonograph Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

August 2000: A woman looks at the latest Barbie dolls to hit the Olympic Store shelves in Sydney Photograph: Reuters/Corbis

May 15, 1963: A young girl plays with Barbie dolls and a fold-out box fashion shop Photograph: AP

May 1995: Astronaut Barbie dolls, from left, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s, on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington Photograph: Greg Gibson/AP

November 2002, Hollywood: Barbie hand- and footprints ceremony Photograph: Graham Whitby-Boot/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar

May 2007: Barbie in her various incarnations at a toy and railway museum in Sydney, Australia Photograph: Ian Waldie/Getty Images

January 1999: Barbie dolls on display at FAO Schartz Photograph: Scott Houston/Coribs/Sygma

January 1985: A Barbie doll wears an outfit by the designer Thierry Mugler Photograph: Pierre Vauthey/Corbis/Sygma

January 1985: Barbie and Ken dolls wear outfits designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier Photograph: Pierre Vauthey/Corbis/Sygma

September 2007: Barbie doll and toy dog, Tanner, and cat, Mika, from a giftset made in China Photograph: Sarah Lee

March 2006: A Barbie poster at an exhibition of toys in Prague Castle Photograph: Erik C Pendzich/Rex Features

August 2006: The first Barbie doll model created in 1959 (centre) plus Barbies and a Ken doll from the Cabin Crew edition and a Bubble Cut Barbie Photograph: Fiona Hanson/PA

February 2005: Bettina Dorfmann has the largest Barbie collection in the world and entered the Guinness book of world records in 2002. She has more than 2,500 dolls, plus a 'Barbie hospital' where she repairs broken dolls Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features

Nuremberg, Germany: Barbie and Ken at the international toy fair Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

February 1965: A young girl plays with two Barbie dolls on display at the annual toy fair Photograph: AP

1964: Barbie and Ken in formalwear Photograph: Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

February 1999: Germaine Greer Photograph: Eleanor Bentall/Corbis

October 2004, Munich: Barbie dolls sit on a miniature sofa on display at the 'World of Barbies' exhibition Photograph: Peter Kneffel/dpa/Corbis

August 1993, Hamburg: Glamorous Barbie Photograph: Kurt-Michael Westermann/Corbis

August 2006: Part of what is thought to be the largest collection of Barbie dolls in the world. The collection was estimated to release in excess of £100,000 at auction Photograph: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

October 2005: A child plays with the new Barbie doll at a toy fair Photograph: Graeme Robertson

December 1993: Jill Barad, executive at Mattel, stands with a group of Barbie dolls Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Corbis/Sygma

March 2000: The Art of Barbie exhibition at the Proud galleries Photograph: Martin Godwin

March 1999: The most expensive Barbie doll in the world is unveiled to mark her 40th anniversary. The doll wears jewllery containing 160 diamonds set in 18-carot white gold, and is worth £50,000 Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian

October 2006: The new Let's Dance Barbie is displayed at the Dream Toys exhibition in London Photograph: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images