Dionne Quintuplet Doll, 1935-1939

01

Artifact Overview

The Dionne Quintuplets (born 1934) became international celebrities as the first quintuplets to survive infancy. Their home, dubbed "Quintland," was one of Canada's largest tourist attractions, receiving 3,000 daily visitors from 1934 to 1943. To capitalize on the Dionnes' fame, "Madame" Beatrice Alexander secured their exclusive likeness rights in the United States, and her company produced these dolls through the late 1930s.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Baby doll (Recreational doll)

Date Made

1935-1939

Creator Notes

Manufactured by the Alexander Doll Company in New York, New York. Sold by the J.L. Hudson Company in Detroit, Michigan.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

72.177.312

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Almena Gray Wilde.

Material

Composition (Material)
Flannel
Muslin
Ribbon (Material)

Color

Multicolored
Peach (Color)
Green

Dimensions

Height: 11.0 in
Width: 7.5 in
Length: 3.5 in

Inscriptions

"DIONNE" / ALEXANDER [back of head] MADAME / ALEXANDER [doll's back] DIONNE QUINTUPLETS / MADAME ALEXANDER / REG. N.Y. [clothing tag] THE DIONNE QUINTUPLET DOLLS... [paper booklet with photos and text]