Alexander Doll Company

Alexander Doll Company
Industry Toys and dolls
Founded New York City, USA (1923 (1923))
Founder Beatrice Alexander
Headquarters New York, New York, U.S.
Key people
 Howard Kahn - Owner since 2013
Owner Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC
Madame Alexander's Wendy doll, from the 2004 Total Moves collection

Alexander Doll Company is an American manufacturer of collectible dolls. The business was founded in 1923 by Beatrice Alexander, a New York City woman who designed and sewed cloth dolls. Styling herself Madame Alexander, which also became the trade name for her dolls, Alexander went on to create dolls replicating famous personalities and characters in books, films, music, and art. Among her notable creations were dolls replicating the Dionne quintuplets, Scarlett O'Hara, and the royal family and attendees at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The company produced the first fashion doll, "Cissy", four years before Barbie was released. Continually aiming to improve her product, Alexander began making hard plastic dolls after World War I and vinyl plastic dolls in the 1960s. By the 1960s the company was the leading American doll manufacturer. In the 1980s, it released one million dolls annually. Beatrice Alexander ran the company for 65 years and sold it in 1988. As of 2016, the company has produced 6,500 doll styles and characters.

Other popular dolls have been 'Pussycat'—a large baby doll dressed in fine coat and dress, a Mary, Queen of Scots Portrait Doll, Heidi, the characters from Little Women, and a series of international dolls in native costumes. She has created many topical doll series, such as "The First Ladies of the United States," depicting each in her inaugural gown, as well as "The Opera Series", a "Fairy Tale Series", and many more.

Her 8" Wendy doll, introduced in 1953, is still being made today and is considered to be a valuable collectible.

A December 2005 article in Forbes magazine analyzed the most popular American toys by decade, with help from the Toy Industry Association. The Madame Alexander collectible dolls led the list for the 1920–1929 decade, beating out even the yo-yo.[1]

Alexandra Fairchild Ford is a line of 16" collectible fashion dolls for adult collectors.[2]

As of 2009, Madame Alexander has begun creating dolls for Dollie & Me, which specializes in matching clothing for girls and dolls. In June 2012, the Madame Alexander Doll Company was sold to Kahn Lucas, owners of Dollie & Me.

The Madame Alexander Doll Club is separate from The Alexander Doll Company, but the company supports club efforts by creating new limited edition dolls for club events. The club holds events and conventions all over the US. The club also publishes a quarterly magazine for members called The Review.

As of 2013, Gale Jarvis, president of Madame Alexander Doll, announced that Isaac Mizrahi of Xcel Brands will "create a selection of Madame Alexander dolls, doll apparel and doll accessories under the Isaac Mizrahi New York label."[3] The "doll collection will launch at the American International Toy Fair in New York in February" 2014.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Most Popular Toys of the Last 100 Years: Madame Alexander Collectible Dolls". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  2. ↑ Back To Basics Alexandra Fairchild Ford Doll – Review of Back to Basics Alexandra Fairchild Ford Doll. Collectdolls.about.com (2010-06-11). Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  3. 1 2 Lockwood, Lisa (November 4, 2013). "Isaac Mizrahi Inks Deal With The Alexander Doll Co". WWD. Retrieved 5 November 2013.

United Federation of Doll Collectors What's Cooking with Madame Alexander

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