Dolls of the Century


Melanie Portrait
"Melanie", 1946 Madame Alexander
21-inch "Wendy Ann" Portrait
Winner of a "Convention Chairman's Choice",
"Blue Ribbon" and "Best-of-Show" (Composition/Cloth)
National Competitive Exhibit Madame Alexander Doll Convention

Composition dolls soon followed the first cloth dolls of Madame Alexander. The faces used for these composition dolls include: Tiny and Little Betty, Betty, Wendy Ann, and Princess Elizabeth. Other faces were used for the composition personality dolls that include: Sonja Henie, Jane Withers, Juanita Quigley, the Dionne Quintuplets and Margaret O’Brien. Many themes have been present from the early cloth dolls to today --- Little Women, Scarlett, Internationals, Storybooks, "Gone With the Wind" and others .

Tiny Betty Tiny Betty "Spanish"

Some of the first composition dolls manufactured by Madame Alexander were the small, 8-9-inch, Tiny and Little Betty. They were made from 1935 to 1943.

7 ½-inch (8-inch) Tiny Betty has one piece body and head. She is all composition with painted on shoes and socks. The eyes are painted to the side. The right arm came slightly curved. Some of the later dolls were marked "Wendy Ann/Mme. Alexander/New York U.S.A. The early ones were just marked," Mme. Alexander" (generally) from 1935 to 1939.

9-inch & 11-inch "Little Betty." were used for Storybook, Fairytale, Nursery Rhyme and other dolls. They were fully jointed and all composition with painted eyes. Some have swivel waists. They had both molded hair and mohair/human wigs. They were manufactured from 1937 to 1941.

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Betty Fairy Princess

1939 "Fairy Princess" Winner of a "Judge's Choice and Blue Ribbon
1996 National Competitive Exhibit Madame Alexander Doll Club Convention

"Betty" face was used for several dolls. This all composition doll has two tiny dimples on each side of her closed mouth. The most sought after dolls with the "Betty face" are the "Little Colonel" dolls. Since Ideal Toy Company had the rights to Shirley Temple, Alexander could not mention the child star in their ads. Other characters portrayed by "Betty" were Princess Elizabeth, and herself. She had an extensive wardrobe of her own.

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Wendy Ann

  
  Perhaps of most famous of   the Wendy Ann characters   was Scarlett O'Hara from the   novel and movie "Gone With   The Wind".




Characters portrayed by Wendy Ann
can be seen here.

The "Wendy Ann" face is one of the most captivating of all of the composition dolls. Wendy Ann was named for Madame Alexander’s grand-daughter. Please see the photo
of "Melanie" above.

The 11-inch, 13-inch and the larger Wendy Anns were manufactured from 1937 to 1948. She was all composition. She has both molded hair and wigs. She also had both painted and sleep eyes. She had an extensive individual wardrobe.

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Princess Elizabeth   Princess Elizabeth

This mint and all-original Princess Elizabeth was awarded a "Judge's Choice and "Blue Ribbon"
1996 National Competitive Exhibit Madame AlexanderDoll Club Convention.
This wondeful doll is owned by Veronica Jochens of Missouri.

"Princess Elizabeth" was made in many sizes 13-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch , 17-inch , 21-inch , 24-inch, and 27-inch. The 13-inch and 16-inch also came with closed mouths. She is all composition with sleep eyes and an open mouth. Many had human hair wigs. The Princess Elizabeth was first released at the Coronation of her father, King George VI just a short time after the abdication of her uncle. This "face" was also used for many other characters including McGuffey Anna and Flora McFlimsey (with freckles). This mold is marked "Princess Elizabeth" . She was manufactured from 1937 to 1946.

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