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Nancy Ann Dolls began in 1936 when Nancy Ann Abbott started her
doll-making
venture. In 1937, she took a partner named Allan "Les" Rowland to handle the
promotion and financial matters.
The first dolls made were small 3-3/4" bisque baby dolls from the "Hush-a-Bye"
collection with the doll bodies made in Japan. The 5" Storybook dolls began
being produced in late 1936. Doll bodies began being made in California in 1939.
Artists painted the facial features, therefore, giving each doll its own special
look.
By the late 1940s, the company was producing the largest doll volume in the
nation. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, as Nancy Ann's health began to fail,
the company's production also slowed. Nancy Ann Abbott passed away in 1964. Les Rowland's health was also declining at
that time, and In
1965, the company filed for bankruptcy.
The company was eventually purchased by Albert Bourla and stockholders. In 1967,
the dolls, which were plastic and made in Hong Kong, were presented at the Toy
Fair in New York. This venture only lasted a few years.
In 1998, Mr. Bourla planned a reintroduction of a bisque line of 5-1/2"
Storybook dolls consisting of 52 costumes and limited to 7,500 dolls per
costume. As it turned out, only the first four
dolls were ever produced before Mr. Bourla decided to sell the company.
In 2003, Mr. Bourla sold the company to sisters Claudette Buehler and Darlene
Budd.
One of Nancy Ann's main line of dolls was "storybook dolls" which were named
after
nursery rhymes and jingles. The dolls were marketed to little girls, but,
it is obvious that they had appeal to the mothers as well!
Nancy Ann also produced several other types of dolls . These dolls included plastic Storybook dolls with painted eyes
(1948-1950), plastic Storybook dolls with "sleepy eyes" (1950+), plastic 8"
"Muffie" dolls (1950+), plastic 18" Nancy Ann Style Show dolls (1950+), plastic
10-1/2" Miss Nancy Ann with a teenage body, plastic 9" Little Miss Nancy Ann,
plastic 10" Debbie with a toddler body, and vinyl 9" Sue Sue which is a baby
doll. Aline (introduced in 1973 to compete with Barbie) and Missie (Aline's
little sister) were produced during the Bourla period.
clothing, costumes, Furniture, giftware, Books, Merchandise, Souvenirs, Posters,
Cards, Wristwatches, Hand bags, Purses, Wallets, Fanbooks,
Notebooks, Artbooks, Toilet stickers, Necklaces, Rings, &
Merchandise
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