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![Melanie Portrait](melanie.jpg)
"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
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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"](spanish.JPG)
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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](Princess.jpg)
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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 ![](scarlett.jpg)
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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](Pliz1.jpg)
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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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