by David Mansour
"Hundreds of dolls are here to behold. As you gaze upon each you might question, who’s beholding who?"
~ David Mansour's Behold the Valley of the Dolls
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, In a quarter of the sky
You are reaching for a cloud, And another way to fly"
~ Stu Phillips' "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls"
“You’ve got to climb to the top of Mt. Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls...”
~ Jacqueline Susann's' Valley of the Dolls
David Mansour’s fascination with Barbie is for a lifetime, which is a longtime as he shares the same birthyear as her boyfriend Ken. In 1987, a birthday gift of Barbie led to a wide collection of dolls and toys, inspiring him to write the book, From ABBA to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. An appearance on the Discovery Channel’s Pop Nation TV show to share his knowledge on Barbie earned him national recognition as a “Barbie Expert.” In 2018, David began photographing his extensive Barbie collection in colorful one-of-a-kind portraits. This eight year photography and research project was the genesis for Behold the Valley of the Dolls. David resides in sunny San Diego, California with husband John Bode, a family of adorable pets, and his Barbie collection.