Barbie goes on display... and there's much more to see than just Ken!

By LUCINDA CAMERON FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL Published: 20:21, 11 June 2026 | Updated: 20:21, 11 June 2026 It has been a must-have toy for little girls for more than 65 years and shows no sign of losing its popularity. And now a ‘fascinating’ exhibition charting the evolution of Barbie is set to open in Scotland. Barbie: The Exhibition explores the history of the doll from 1959 to the present day and features clothes, playsets and vehicles. The first-ever Barbie dates from 1959... and the doll is still going strong Miniature modes of transport are also on display at the Kelvingrove A wide range of Barbies from down the decades are shown The show, which features more than 150 dolls, opens at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow this week and runs until October 18. A rare, hand-painted first edition Barbie is among the objects on display, as will the first black, Hispanic and Asian versions of the doll.  Many of Barbie’s friends also feature in the exhibition, including a section dedicated to Ken which explores how he has evolved since he made his debut in 1961. There is also a Barbie Land section, with features costumes from the 2023 Barbie film. Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, which runs the museum, said: ‘Barbie has inspired generations through fashion, creativity, ambition and play, and this exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to explore that remarkable story in fresh and surprising ways.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.