Madame Alexander Doll Company

Madame Alexander Doll Company 1923-1947

The Alexander Doll Company was founded in 1923, is still in operation today in New York, NY USA. In 1928 a high quality line of dolls were produced and advertised as "Madame Alexander" and is the name now commonly associated with their dolls.

Over 6,500+ Madame Alexander dolls have been produced with only a few different face molds, the dolls originality lies in the various costumes, thus if your doll is not in her original costume, has no wrist tag or box - it can be nearly impossible to locate exactly who the character doll originally was.

Early cloth, wood or composition dolls maybe unmarked or marked, but should have a clothing tag of the characters name/Madame Alexander/New York USA sewn into a seam.

Here are some Madame Alexander dolls we have found 1923-1947:

Items pictured here are for reference only - not for sale.

1930-1940 All Cloth Dolls, 7-30" tall, all cloth dolls with mask face with painted side glancing eyes. Dolls are unmarked but clothing usually had a Madame Alexander tag. Shown is Bobby Q.

1938 Bobby Q, 12"

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1933-1939 Three Little Pigs, 11" tall, all composition, jointed body, painted black eyes an brown lashes, open smiling mouth with red tongue, marked on back: Madame Alexander. Licensed by Walt Disney. Clothing will have a Madame Alexander tag.

Wore suspender shorts or long pants, cotton shirt, felt stitched mittens, white sailor cap with grosgrain ribbon trim and leather two tone shoes shaped like hooves.

Modern artist reproductions have been found and are unmarked or signed by the artist, these have surfaced as the real deal, they are not. You can see an artist reproduction of the MA Three Little Pigs here

1933 Three Little Pigs, 11"

1935 Dionne Quintuplets, 7-24" tall, baby or toddler body type, some are all composition or composition head & limbs with cloth body, molded painted hair some with a wig. Usually marked: Dionne, Alex, Alexander, and/or the dolls name. Each Dionne doll had a clothing color associated with her as follows: Annette- yellow, Cecile - green, Emelie - lavender, Marie - blue, Yvonne - pink. There was also accessories & a 1936 Dr. DaFoe doll 14" tall & a 1935 Nurse Yvonne Leroux doll (Betty face mold) 13" tall.

Photo courtesy of Flozdolz.

1935 Dionne Quintuplets,

Yvonne - pink

1935 Betty face, 13-22" tall, all composition, jointed body (neck, shoulders & hip), tin or sleep eyes, some have painted lower lashes & others have both upper & lower lashes painted, mohair wig, painted closed bow mouth with tiny dimples along side. Usually dolls are unmarked, clothing will have the character name on tag. More than 30 different Betty character dolls were created.

Shown is Nurse Yvonne Leroux 13" tall, the Dionne Quint's - nurse & 1936 Dr. DaFoe 14" tall, cloth body, composition head & limbs, painted eyes, smiling mouth with a chin dimple, has his own face mold, is unmarked and also came as a priest or minister.

1935 Dr. DaFoe 14"

& Nurse Yvonne, 13"

1935-1940's Tiny Betty face, 7-8" tall, all composition, one piece body & head, side glancing painted eyes, mohair wig, painted closed red mouth, painted on shoes & socks. Usually marked: Mme. Alexander or Wendy Ann and clothing tag will have the character name on tag.

More than 80 different Tiny Betty characters were created from this same doll.

1935-1940's Hiawatha, 7-8"

1935 Little Betty face, 9-11" tall, all composition, jointed body (neck, shoulders & hip), painted side glancing eyes, mohair wig, painted red closed mouth. Usually marked: Mme. Alexander NEW YORK and clothing will have the character name on tag.

More than 50 different character dolls were created; Bride, Bridesmaid, Storybook characters, International costumes, Birthday dolls & specialty outfits.

1935 Little Betty face, 11"

1935 Marionettes by Tony Sarg or Walt Disney Characters, 8-12" tall, composition heads, body & lower limbs. Usually marked: Tony Sarg/Alexander.

Their were more than 40 characters created, many being fairy tale characters, some are; Alice in Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty, Tweedle Dee & Dum, Gretchen, Hansel & Gretel, Sambo, and Walt Disney; Snow White, Witch, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto.

1935 Snow White 12" by Tony Sarg

1936+ Pinky, 16-18" tall, composition head hands & legs, stuffed cloth body, usually marked on neck: ALEX or ALEXANDER

1936+ Pinky, 16-18"

1936 Wendy Ann, 9" (painted eyes), 11, 13 (molded hair &/or twist/swivel waist), 18, & 21" tall.

All composition, fully jointed body, molded hair or wigged, some have the swivel waist, the 9" tall size have painted eyes, the others have sleep eyes, closed mouth. Usually marked: Wendy Ann or Wendy Ann/Mme. Alexander/New York. More than 55 different dolls used the Wendy Ann mold.

Photo on right is a 13" Wendy Ann with the twist/swivel waist.

1936 Wendy Ann, 13"

1937-1943 McGuffey Ana, 9-22" tall, all composition, sleep eyes (9" doll has painted eyes), open mouth (except for the 11" which has a closed mouth), usually came with a braided wig. Often marked on neck Princess Elizabeth or circle X with 13 on back.

Face shown on left is the 13" size.

1937 McGuffey Ana, 16"

1937 Princess Alexandria, 24" tall, cloth body with composition head & limbs, molded hair, blue sleep eyes, open mouth, she is wearing her original dress (under a replacement) and original bonnet.

Photo courtesy of Ronsfancy.

1937 Princess Alexandria, 24"

1937 Princess Elizabeth, 13-27" tall, all composition jointed body, tin or glassene sleep eyes real upper lashes, painted lower lashes, open smiling mouth with teeth & felt tongue, or closed mouth with the Betty face mold (see doll shown below), mohair or human wig.

Usually marked Princess Elizabeth/Alexander Doll Co.

1937 Princess Elizabeth, 15"

1937 Princess Elizabeth, 17" tall, all composition jointed body, sleep eyes with upper real eyelashes & painted lower lashes, wigged either mohair or human hair (dolls shown has human hair), closed smiling mouth with the Betty head mold, wearing her original pink gown, purse and silver tiara.

Usually marked Princess Elizabeth/Alexander Doll Co.

Photo courtesy of Maureen.

1937 Princess Elizabeth, 17"

1937 Jane Withers, 13, 15, 17 & 20" tall, all composition or cloth body with composition limbs, jointed, sleep eyes, brown mohair wig, open mouth with four upper teeth or closed mouth. Came in several cotton dresses or other clothing and usually had a Jane Withers pin and clothing will have the Jane name on the tag. Shown is a copy of the photo that appeared on the Jane Withers hangtag which stated on reverse "Authentic Jane Withers Doll All rights reserved Madame Alexander New York". Some dolls are unmarked some have Jane Withers/Alexander Doll on the neck rim.

1937 Jane Withers, hang tag

1938-1946 Portrait Dolls, 21" tall, all composition, wigged, jointed at the neck, shoulders & hips. These dolls were designed to be used as window displays. They were a set of 13, each doll originally sold for $75. Dolls used the Wendy Ann face mold with modifications on the eyes & brows commissioned by an artist, specifically for these dolls by Madame Alexander.

Melanie is shown in all original clothing and picture hat!! Breathtaking! Other dolls in the Portrait Series are: Princess Flavia, Mary Louise, Carmen, Juliet, Orchard Princess, Judy, Lady Windemere, Antoinette, Scarlett, Melanie, June bride, Godey, and Degas. Dolls & clothing are unmarked.

Photo's of Melanie courtesy of Mhalb - you are the best!!!

1938-1946 Melanie,

Portrait Doll, 21"

1939 Sonja Henie, 14-15, 18 & 21" tall, (Olympic gold medalist ice skater & movie star), all composition, blonde curly wig, brown sleep eyes, open mouth showing four teeth, dimples, fully jointed, some have swivel or twist waist, usually dressed in a skating outfit but they used this head mold for some WWII military dolls and a Bride. Some of the small sized dolls used the Wendy Ann face. Usually marked: Sonja Henie/Madame Alexander. Clothing will also have the Sonja Henie name included on the tag.

Arranbee also made a Sonja Henie doll and should have the R & B marking on her neck, which means it isn't made by Alexander.

1939 Sonja Henie 18"

1940-1946 Fairy Queen, 14 or 18" tall, all composition jointed body, brown sleep eyes, closed mouth, blonde wig, used the Wendy Ann face mold & markings, dressed in elaborate tulle gown, have found it in pink, turquoise & white, with gold braid trim on bodice, gold crown, wings on back & scepter.

Note: There was a Fairy Queen done in all hard plastic, used the Margaret face mold & markings, also 14 or 18" tall and would be on the page for dolls 1948-1950.

Photo N/A

1940 Fairy Queen, 14"

1941-1942 Carmen Miranda, 18" tall, all composition, sleep eyes, closed mouth, black wig, shown in original clothing, uses the Wendy Ann face mold, usually marked: WENDY ANN or WENDY ANN/Mme. ALEXANDER/New York.

1941-1942 Carmen Miranda, 18"

1941 Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, 14" tall, uses the Wendy Ann face mold, all composition, jointed at the neck, shoulder & hips, wig, sleep eyes, closed mouth, usually marked: WENDY ANN or WENDY ANN/Mme. ALEXANDER/New York.

Photo N/A

1941 Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, 14"

1942 Fairy Princess, 21" tall, all composition, sleep eyes, closed mouth, wigged, used the Wendy Ann face mold & markings, usually marked:. WENDY ANN or WENDY ANN/Mme. ALEXANDER/New York.

1942 Fairy Princess, 21"

1942 Jeannie Walker, 13 - 14 or 18" tall, only made one year, all composition jointed body, brown sleep eyes with real eyelashes, painted lower lashes, closed small puckered mouth, rosey chipmunk cheeks, single stroke eyebrows, human hair or mohair wig usually in light brown (but blonde has been found too), had a unique walking mechanism with pulley & levers, this was Alexander's first walking doll, is fully jointed, usually marked: Alexander Doll Co/Pat No. 2171281, some are unmarked, clothing will have the Jeannie Walker name included on the tag.

The 14" size, also came without the walker mechanism.

Photo on left, courtesy of Flozdolz.

1942 Jeannie Walker, 18"

1942-1946 Special Girl, 16 or 22" tall, composition shoulder head and limbs with cloth non-walking body, the only other doll to use the Jeannie Walker head mold, human hair or mohair wig, brown sleep eyes, closed mouth. Shown in all original tagged clothing. Marked: ALEX or ALEXANDER on back.

1942-1946 Special Girl, 22"

1947 Sleeping Beauty, 18" tall, uses the Wendy Ann face mold, all composition, jointed at the neck, shoulder & hips, wig, sleep eyes, closed mouth, dressed in a red satin gown trimmed with gold braid and wearing a gold crown, usually marked: WENDY ANN or WENDY ANN/Mme. ALEXANDER/New York.

Photo courtesy of CookinSupper and is shown pristine & all original.

1947 Sleeping Beauty 18"