History of the Madame Alexander Dolls by Rod Low
For more than 77 years Madame Alexander dolls have enticed the hearts of girls of all ages and collectors around the world. Always exquisite, enrapturing and adorable, Madame Alexander dolls remains to be a favorite classic toy and collectible item each holiday season.
The story of Madame Alexander is the story of the evolution of the dolls through the past century, as Madame Alexander entered the Toy Industry’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
Madame Alexander was an exceptional woman with a dream and the determination to make that dream a reality. Do take time to meet Beatrice Alexander Behrman, the woman who fulfilled her vision of creating beautifully crafted dolls and made little girls’ dreams come true.
Madame’s mission was founded on the belief that dolls should engage the imagination and bestow a child happiness and joy and also enhance their understanding of the world. Works of literature, the arts and the different cultures of the world were inspirations for many of her creations.
Under Madame Alexander’s direction, The Alexander Doll Company introduced a series of “firsts” that have shaped the doll industry! Ultimately, her perfectly dressed dolls came to reflect the evolving lifestyles and dreams of the 20th century.
They started by creating composition dolls with painted features and sleep eyes using distinctive face molds bringing feature baby dolls to market creating dolls in honor of living people. Based on a licensed character, it led to the creation of dolls based on characters from popular motion pictures. Pioneering the use of hard plastic for the creation of dolls, they introducing the first full-figure haute couture (Cissy
