Madame Alexander

American, 1895- 1990. Bertha "Beatrice" Alexander Behrman, popularly called Madame Alexander, was a famous dollmaker from America. She was the founder of New York’s Alexander Doll Company and launched unique designs and new materials to create realistic-looking dolls.  Madame Alexander's toys at auction often present dolls based on popular story characters, celebs, film stars, and famous people from the art and music industry. Notable Madame Alexander's toys for sale include collections like the Scarlett O'Hara dolls, 36 dolls set launched after the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, including the royal family and guests, and the Dionne quintuplets dolls.

Born in New York on March 9, 1895, she attended the Washington Irving High School. During World War I, the restrictions on made in Germany items led to the unavailability of porcelain dolls. It was during this time that the designer created her first doll. To support her father, who owned the Maurice doll hospital- a place that repaired porcelain dolls, Alexander came up with the idea of creating cloth dolls. She, along with her sisters, created Red Cross Nurse dolls made from wool and hand-painted them. She continued producing different varieties of cloth dolls even after the war.

 Madame Alexander launched the Alexander Doll Company in 1923 that operated from a single room studio with 16 employees ranging from her sisters to neighbors. With innovative manufacturing techniques and savvy marketing, Alexander was soon a leader in the American doll market. After World War I, she started making hard and vinyl plastic dolls which offered them a lifelike aspect.  Madame Alexander also made dolls with open and close eyelashes, rooted hair for easy styling, and details like fingers and knuckles. Her dolls offered quality and wore dresses of silk, velvet, and satin. Early designs of Madame Alexander composition dolls for sale often garner high value. Today, collectors can find Madame Alexander's composition dolls at auctions online on leading art gallery platforms.