A Barbie Spectacular on the eve of her fortieth birthday. The early and rare Barbie--in 75 ravishing photographs. Barbie as she was meant to be seen and celebrated, clothed in Mattel's now rare ensembles inspired by the original designs of the great couturiers--Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga--and brilliantly photographed by David Levinthal, the foremost toy photographer at work today. The incomparable Barbie--Barbie Millicent Roberts--was born in 1959 in the heyday of haute couture. But Barbie has always been at the center of style. No woman alive has kept up with the latest fashion of the day as Barbie has, with the perfect ensemble for every occasion: a night at the ballet, her first date, a festive barbecue, an afternoon at the beach, a day at the office, a Saturday matinee, her wedding day. And each has been perfectly accessorized: shoes, pocketbooks, long gloves, a fur stole, sunglasses, a beach bag, a single strand of pearls. No other book about Barbie shows her as she is seen here, in breathtaking image after image--her hair, her accessories, her clothes, styled to perfection. The essential Barbie, as she was meant to look to the millions who have seen in her the embodiment of their dream of beauty and glamour, has been brilliantly captured by David Levinthal, whose photographs have been exhibited and admired around the world. With a preface by Valerie Steele. One's first reaction to this album of high fashion photography of a toy might well be, "Gimme a break!" But as fashion historian Valerie Steele explains in introducing the 75 colorful images, Barbie was supposed to be dressed in high fashion, so Levinthal's lavish, luscious, often wittily precious presentation of the doll is entirely appropriate. One thing for sure: drawing on the most complete collections of the now venerable toy for her wardrobe, Levinthal presents a Barbie better appareled than any woman you'll ever meet. Barbie's "Roman Holiday" outfit beggars Audrey Hepburn in her signature film of the same name, and if you were a coed togged out in anything like Barbie's 1966 "Sorority Meeting" getup, you were part of the problem--as Barbie was perceived to be on radicalized '60s campuses. Now, however, if laughter is the great leveler, she is part of the solution, especially in this elegantly over-the-top, surefire browsing hit. Ray Olson ctacular on the eve of her fortieth birthday. The early and rare Barbie--in 75 ravishing photographs. Barbie as she was meant to be seen and celebrated, clothed in Mattel's now rare ensembles inspired by the original designs of the great couturiers--Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga--and brilliantly photographed by David Levinthal, the foremost toy photographer at work today. The incomparable Barbie--Barbie Millicent Roberts--was born in 1959 in the heyday of haute couture. But Barbie has always been at the center of style. No woman alive has kept up with the latest fashion of the day as Barbie has, with the perfect ensemble for every occasion: a night at the ballet, her first date, a festive barbecue, an afternoon at the beach, a day at the office, a Saturday matinee, her wedding day. And each has been perfectly accessorized: shoes, pocketbooks, long gloves, a fur stole, sunglasses, a beach bag, a single strand of pearls. No other book about Barbie shows her a