Museum

Tour The Madame Alexander Heritage Gallery®

One of the true pioneers of the doll industry, 'Madame' Beatrice Alexander Behrman began her life's work creating dolls to engage the imaginations of children. Ultimately, her impeccable designs came to mirror the changing fashions, dreams and tastes of a nation, and today offer a unique view of social evolution in the 20th century.

The Madame Alexander Heritage Gallery® is founded upon her enduring vision and stands as a tribute to her legacy of style, quality, and innovation. A collection of more than 600 Madame Alexander Dolls from the 1920s to present, this exclusive exhibit brings to life the fascinating developments of Madame's career and her many contributions to the doll industry itself, all against the backdrop of the times in which she lived.

Gallery Highlights

The Heritage Gallery's exhibition space and permanent collection allows visitors to travel back through a timeline of significant milestones in the Company's history, illustrated via storyboards, archival photographs and the dolls themselves. Highlights of its exhibits include:

  • Early examples of dolls created from a revolutionary new product called "plastic", its use pioneered in the industry by the Alexander Doll Company in 1947.
  • Doll designs inspired by great works of literature and the Arts, fairytales, nursery rhymes, film characters and differing world cultures. The selection includes early incarnations from Alice in Wonderland (ca. 1935) and Little Women (ca. late 40s).
  • Examples of Cissy®, Madame's most celebrated creation, introduced in 1955 as the first doll to model haute couture-inspired designs on her womanly figure.
  • A fascinating video presentation introducing Madame, her sources of inspiration, and the members of the current Alexander design team who continue to express her vision in the language of dolls.

Other Gallery highlights include prototypes that were never manufactured, select dolls from Madame's famed First Ladies series, and limited editions of dolls produced for the Madame Alexander Doll Club throughout the years. Also on view is doll making equipment for live demonstrations, as well as wax sculpt prototypes and samples of doll assembly that reveal more about the doll making process.

Gallery Information and Hours of Operation

The Madame Alexander Heritage Gallery® is located on the 6th floor of the Alexander Doll Company headquarters at 615 West 131st Street in New York City.

Regular guided tours include the Heritage Gallery, and the showroom. They depart every 45 minutes, Monday - Friday starting at 9:30 AM, with the last tour leaving at 4:15 PM. Weekend/Holiday tours are available by appointment only. The tours are free of charge. Weekday tours do not require prior appointments. To make a weekend/holiday tour appointment please call (212) 283-5900 x 7299.

To go ‘Behind the Scenes', is by appointment only, and includes the Regular tour plus visits to Design, Sewing and Production, and the Doll Hospital. These tours are $8.00 for adults, $4.00 for children and $5.00 for senior citizens.

Group tours, more than 10 guests, must be booked in advance. For groups larger than 20, two guides may be needed. As such, larger groups may be split up to make touring easier. Please inquire for tour fee.

Workshops may be added to tours. Madame Alexander currently offers the following:

Hat and Shoe Workshop: Guests will be able to create their own stylish hat and shoes using trims and glue to realize their vision. $10.00 per person.

Create-a-Doll Workshop: Guests will get to personalize their own Madame Alexander Play Doll by choosing body and eye color, hairstyle and color, and a fashionable outfit. $35.00 per person. Additional outfits $10.00 each.

For more information or to arrange a behind-the-scene tour, please contact the Madame Alexander Heritage Gallery® at 212-283-5900 ext. 7299 or e-mail us at tashas@alexdoll.com