Madame Alexander

Madame Alexander
Industry Toys and dolls
Founder Beatrice Alexander aka Bertha Alexander
Headquarters New York, New York, U.S.
Key people
 Gale Jarvis (president 2013)
Owner Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC
Madame Alexander's Wendy doll, from the 2004 Total Moves collection

Madame Alexander is a brand of American collectible dolls introduced in 1923.[1]

Madame Alexander was also the business name of Beatrice Alexander (1895-1990), who was born Bertha Alexander,[2] later changed her name to Beatrice, married Philip Behrman and then started her doll business.[3] She was an American entrepreneur who created the first "collectible" dolls based on a licensed character – Scarlett O'Hara from the book and movie Gone with the Wind.[4] She was also one of the early creators of mass-produced dolls in honor of living people, with dolls of the famous Dionne quintuplets in 1936 and a set of 36 Queen Elizabeth II dolls to commemorate the 1953 coronation celebrations in Britain.[3]

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.[4]

Alexandra Fairchild Ford is a line of 16" collectible fashion dolls for adult collectors.[5]

As of 2009, Madame Alexander has begun creating dolls for Dollie & Me, which specializes in matching clothing for girls and dolls. In June of 2012, the Madame Alexander Doll Company was sold to Kahn Lucas, owners of Dollie & Me.[6][7]

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."[8] The "doll collection will launch at the American International Toy Fair in New York in February" 2014.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Madame Alexander Dolls – All About Madame Alexander Dolls. Collectdolls.about.com (2010-11-17). Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  2. ↑ Girl culture. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Greenwood Press. 2008. p. 30. ISBN 9780313339097. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  3. 1 2 Altman, Julie. "Beatrice Alexander: Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 "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.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Kahn Lucas Acquires Madame Alexander Doll Brands". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  7. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20131105220249/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kahn-lucas-acquires-madame-alexander-doll-brands-2012-06-26. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. 1 2 Lockwood, Lisa (November 4, 2013). "Isaac Mizrahi Inks Deal With The Alexander Doll Co.". WWD. Retrieved 5 November 2013.

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

External links

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