The Annalee Story

What began as a hobby for a young girl named Barbara Annalee Davis, grew into a family business; the business of doll making. A young adult in the 1930's, Annalee created dolls, unaware this hobby would become her life's calling. Annalee transformed a chicken coop into a design room, and painted her smile onto dolls. She sold her dolls though craft outlets in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Years later, after her marriage to Charles 'Chip' Thorndike, her hobby transformed itself into a business that is now considered an industry innovator.

Seventy-five years laters we're still operating out of that chicken coop! Oh, sure, we've made some renovations (for one thing, the chickens have been relocated) but we honor Annalee's vision: "If you smile, someone else has got to smile back." A great motto for a company that's been "cooped-up" for 75 years!