Alexander Doll Company
| Industry | Toys and dolls |
|---|---|
| Founded | New York City, USA (1923 |
| Founder | Beatrice Alexander |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, U.S. |
|
Key people
|
Howard Kahn - Owner since 2013 |
| Owner | Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC |
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 dolls.
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.
Alexandra Fairchild Ford is a line of 16" collectible fashion dolls for adult collectors.
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Wikipedia