Annalee Thorndike, 87; Made Collectible Dolls

Annalee Davis Thorndike, 87, the New Englander who made the hand-painted collectible dolls that bear her first name, died Sunday in Meredith, N.H. The cause of death was not announced.

Thorndike began making the one-of-a-kind, poseable dolls after graduating from high school in 1933. At first she sold them for store displays and business advertising, including New Hampshire’s first tourism campaign.

When her husband’s poultry egg business began to falter in the early 1950s, the couple decided to turn doll-making into a full-time business.

The Annalee factory became one of the area’s largest employers, with 250 to 300 workers. A downturn in the collectibles market, however, led the company to move most of its manufacturing to China.

Thorndike was awarded the Collectibles and Gift Industry Pioneer Award in 1997.

Meredith is home to the Annalee Doll Museum, established in 1983, and holds a festival for collectors each summer.