Greetings vintage mates! TVTA is pleased to add another new toy entry to the archive. This time it’s the famous Madame Alexander Dolls line from the US, with today’s catalogue images coming courtesy of FAO Schwarz 1967 to 1974, and the Madame Alexander Friends From Foreign Lands booklet, 1970.

Madame Alexander Dolls is the creation of Madame Beatrice Alexander Behrman, the daughter of US immigrants, who created the Madame Alexander Doll Company, Inc. in New York in 1923.

Throughout her lifetime, Madame Alexander received many accolades for her pioneering craftsmanship, originality and excellence. She was the first to create toys with officially licensed tie-ins to entertainment properties, producing dolls of famous characters from the likes of Gone With The Wind, The Sound of Music, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, Cleopatra, Heidi, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty; she also helped popularise industry innovations such as dolls that could close their eyes, and dolls that could walk, and she was first to introduce the plastic face mould, which changed the doll industry forever!

In honour of her achievements, she was made a life member of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, New York, and her dolls have featured around the world in permanent exhibitions. Madame Alexander was a true pioneer of the doll world, and her vision lives on today with the famous Madame Alexander company still going strong and celebrating 100 years in the business this year!

Click on images to go big. Enjoy the scans!

Madame Alexander Dolls. FAO Schwarz Fall Winter 1981 /82 catalogue. US.

Friends From Foreign Lands booklet, 1970.

“The Happiness Of A Child Is A Joy To The World”

As always, thanks for looking!

You can read more about pioneering woman Madame Alexander at the official site here