On the left is an 11 in. Toddler, 1961, made by Effanbee. using their Tiny Tubber head mold. She is all vinyl with sleep eyes and rooted hair. I made her outfit. In the center is Mme. Alexander’s 14 in. Little Mary Sunshine, 1961. The mold for this doll was first used to make Caroline, styled to resemble the young Kennedy daughter, but it was soon discontinued. Vogue’s 11 in. Littlest Angel 1964 is on the right. Her PJ’s are tagged “Vogue Dolls Made in USA.”
Mme. Alexander’s 14 in. Baby Madison is made of soft vinyl, cries, giggles, and makes a different baby sound each time you press her hand. This 1990s doll who also drinks and wets came with a layette set and is in her original outfit.
Mme. Alexander’s 22 in. So Big, 1967 – 1975, was based on a book by Eloise Wilkins. My daughter Elaine, shown here with her brother, received this doll for Christmas 1970. She still has it along with the little Golden Press book titled, So Big. It has vinyl head and hands, painted eyes, cry voice, and soft stuffed body, dressed in a blue and white checked gingham suit.
On the wall in the house where I grew up hung a picture of Goya’s Don Manuel Osorio, known as the Red Boy. It made an impression because the little boy in the fancy red suit was painted with a pet magpie and three cats looking on. Mme. Alexander chose her Alexander-Kin mold to create this 1988 8 in. Red Boy.
Sometimes a 21 in. Mme. Alexander Cissy was copied in a 10.5 in. size called a Portrette or Cissette. On the left is a 10.5 in. 1968 Portrette named Godey. On the right is a 10.5 in. 2006 Cissette named Picking Bouquets. Both were also made in a larger version.
Like all Mme. Alexander dolls, it is easy to remove them from their boxes and examine the designer outfits. This is a 16 in. Ivana Trump, 2000, in black velvet and gold lace.
Riviera Night, a 16 in. 1999 Mme. Alexander Cissy, is not jointed at the knees like the 21 in. Cissy. However, she is a great model for French fashions.
In the late 1990’s, Mme. Alexander’s 21 in. Cissy made a return with a vinyl head. I bought one named Royal Reception. It has the new face of Cissy and jointed knees. Hard plastic was used on the Mme. Alexander Cissy dolls from 1947 to the mid 1950’s but the coloring on this 1999 vinyl Cissy head deserves a close up.
Valentina Ballerina is a 17 in. ballerina doll by Valentine c. 1962 marked VW on the head. The body is hard plastic with jointed ankles and knees. She is dressed in Capezio shoes and a newer tutu.
Mme. Alexander made a teen fashion doll in 1964, Brenda Starr, 12 in. of rigid vinyl. She had sleep eyes, jointed knees, and a long strand of hair. Shown here is Brenda with her box, wearing her original lace chemise.
