My daughter, Savannah Rose has high functioning autism with psychosis. She is absolutely lovely and turning 15 soon.
A few years ago we met a wonderful friend, Judith, who introduced Savannah to the Madame Alexander Huggums Dolls that were distributed in 1964. Her daughter had received one as a Christmas present when she was just 4 years old and had kept her doll in the family all these years.
This love for her daughter's original Huggums doll led Judith to finding others to rescue and repair. My daughter has become another on this mission and has fallen in love totally. She is now the proud mother of three and she loves shopping for their outfits and accessories. Her newest one is named Susan Jane and is pictured here.
History of Madame Beatrice Alexander
Dolls of Madame Alexander are highly prized throughout the world and are an 85 year tradition of fine quality and innovation. Beatrice Alexander retained control of the company for most of her lifetime, selling it in 1988. Her legacy was a vast number of dolls which have been prized for their attention to detail and history. The Company , started at the onset of World War 1, began by making Red Cross dolls , made from cloth which she and her sisters created in the kitchen of their New York home. With starting capital of $1600.00 she started the Alexander Doll Company in a Manhattan gallery. Influenced in part by the Lenci dolls of Italy, Hers became a resounding success. Although quite unusual for a woman to start and run a company in that part of the century, she had inherited quite a work ethic from her father , who ran a doll shop where she grew up. Impressed with the aura of Madame Lenci of Italy, she decided to improve her image by calling herself Madame Alexander. In the 20’s her husband Philip, began the daily operations of the company freeing her to develop ideas for new dolls. She had a talent for being able to provide ideas for new dolls to fit the times. During the depression her “Alice In Wonderland” doll became a huge success as were the dolls of “Gone With The Wind” as well as the re-release of “Alice” when the Disney movie appeared in 1933.
In the early 50’s Madame Alexander dolls won 4 awards from the Fashion Academy of New York. In the early sixties , Philip died and she recruited her son in law and grandson to help run the company. By the 80's the dolls began enjoying great success as collector items. The company was resold in 1995 and has continued to this day to produce high quality and elaborately costumed dolls.
As long as we have a desire for dolls, the legacy of Madame Alexander shall live on.
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