The creative penchant for novelty lured Madeleine to New York City at the age of 18. Although she had taught ballet in her native Oklahoma, her first "real" dancing job was as a torch bearer in the opera, "Aida". Developing a love for the stage life, she then got into a vaudeville act and performed at the Palace Theater. She was also in the musical comedy "RoseMarie", and danced with the Earl Carroll Vanities.

After four years in New York City, she married and returned to Oklahoma where she started another ballet school, designed costumes and became interested in doll making. She learned her own way, by the mistakes she made, by trial and error.

Now the parents of two daughters, Madeleine and her husband decided to move to New England where they bought a large Victorian home and she continued to make her beautiful dolls. After the death of her husband, she became intrigued with photography so that she could take pictures of her dolls. Once again she struggled to master the art and one of her prized possessions was a two-star award and certificate which she won for her entry in the New England Photographers Association contest. It was a portrait of one of her dolls.

Mrs. Fox's varied and vast collection includes legendary female figures such as Marie Antoinette, Madame DuBarry and Amber, King Charles II's fictional mistress; Anna and the King of Siam and Madame Butterfly. A replica of Pearl Bailey in her St. Louis Blues outfit; Martha Washington, the Spanish Duchess of Alba wearing a red and black gown; and the heroine of the musical, "Kismet" her face expressively carved, as if in readiness to sing "Baubles, Bangles and Beads."

Each of her dolls has a story and legend, some of which she made up - like the entertainer from the Old West holding a Bouquet of flowers, proudly acknowledging the crowd's ovation. She would get an idea then go ahead and make the doll, some of which took up to four months to complete, involving a complicated and time-consuming process that demanded meticulous attention to detail. The head was sculptured by first making a clay model, and pouring ceramic into a mold. The face was then painted using portraits of famous women as her models, and sometimes creating an original face out of her own imagination.

The doll body was then built by making a wire skeleton, then padding it with cotton "to make the figure just right." A wire frame filled with special papier mache is used for the hands so they stay strong, and each delicate finger is modeled from the wire fillers.
Mrs. Fox then proceeded to make the wig out of mohair, creating her own hairstyle to suit every doll. The rich, exotic and exquisitely embroidered costumes were fashioned from her storehouse of materials that she accumulated through the years. Under each gown worn by the buxom female figures are multiple layers of rich lace slips and pantaloons, undeniably a work of art.

With her newly acquired confidence, she opened her own studio and for eight years specialized in taking pictures of babies and children.

In 1958 Madeleine moved to Santa Barbara with her daughters. Her enterprising energies found yet another creative outlet. Although she continued to create her dolls, for several years she made "glamour" earrings which she in a Beverly Hills store.

She continued with her doll creations until her eyesight became such that she was forced to "retire". She had great pleasure both in creating and collecting her dolls.

Mrs. Fox never had a public showing of her doll collection in California, except for the Santa Barbara Doll Club, of which she was a member.

It is our hope that your purchase doll will give you as many hours of pleasure as our mother had in creating and making her.

Sincerely,

Rosemary Fox Bertka, Kathleen E. Fox