The year 2014 marked the 91st anniversary of Madame Alexander Dolls. Madame Beatrice Alexander, founder of the Alexander Doll Company, was truly a remarkable and honored businesswomen throughout her lifetime. Her enduring company continues to make history.
- In 1923, at the age of 28, Beatrice Alexander founded the Alexander Doll Company. The original workforce consisted of the Alexander sisters and neighborhood men and women who were looking to earn a little bit of extra money.
- Madame Alexander was the first manufacturer to issue a doll based on a licensed character. The 1930 Alice in Wonderland doll led to the creation of dolls based on characters from literature and popular motion pictures.
- Madame Alexander invented “sleep eyes” (the innovation that allows a doll to close its eyes when its head is tilted back) in the late 1930s.
- Madame Alexander pioneered the use of hard plastic as a new medium for the creation of dolls. The first face mold to be made in this new medium was the Margaret O’Brien doll in 1947. Margaret O’Brien was one of the most popular child stars during this time.
- The Smithsonian Institute houses several Madame Alexander dolls in its permanent collection.
- Madame Alexander’s millions of loyal fans include Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford, Barbara Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Tori Spelling, Margaret O’Brien, Mrs. Michael Jordan, the Hilton family, Mrs. Andy Garcia, and Dakota Fanning.
- In 2012, Kahn Lucas Lancaster, Inc., a leading global designer and wholesaler of branded girls’ dresses and fashion collections, acquired all intellectual property and select assets of Alexander Doll Company, Inc. Kahn Lucas had been a long time licensing partner with Alexander Doll under Kahn Lucas’ award-winning Dollie & Me® brand of matching girl and doll apparel and related fashion accessories.
– Facts Taken from “Madame Alexander Fun Facts” News Release: Karen Apablaza/Sally Fischer
