Marc Bouwer Cissy

Name:  Marc Bouwer Cissy

Made by and When:  Madame Alexander, 1999

Material:  Soft vinyl face and arms, hard plastic torso and legs with articulation at the waist and knees

Marks: (Head) Madame Alexander / 1990

Height: 21 inches

Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Black curly short wig has straight bangs, brown sleep eyes with attached eyelashes and painted upper and lower lashes, a closed mouth with dark lip color, and a black beauty mark on the left upper cheek

Clothes and Accessories: Cissy wears a stretch fabric-lined shimmery brown and gold full-length gown that has a train, brown feather stole, sparkly pantyhose with built-in gold panties, and gold lamé mules. Also includes a gold pendant for the doll.

Other: The first Cissy by Madame Alexander was released in 1955; however, none of the first dolls were Black or African American. Black versions debuted during the late 1990s. Designed by South African/New-York-based fashion designer Marc Bouwer for Madame Alexander, the Black Marc Brouwer Cissy is style #26125. That number is indicated on the bottom end of this doll’s box. A certificate of authenticity reads:

This doll has been exquisitely designed and manufactured with love from our 1999 “Madame Alexander Celebrates American Design” Collection.  Your doll is from a limited edition and is numbered at 0228/500. 

Love is in the details.

The certificate is signed by Herbert E. Brown, [the then] Chairman & CEO Alexander Doll Company, Inc.  A gold tone pendant is enclosed in plastic with the COA.

Other Cissys in the “Madame Alexander Celebrates American Design” collection at the time of Marc Bouwer Cissy’s release are listed on the inside of this doll’s hangtag. See the final gallery image.

Gallery

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Published by DeeBeeGee

Doll collector, historian, co-founder of the first e-zine devoted to collecting black dolls; author of black-doll reference books, doll blogs, and doll magazine articles.

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