| American Girl | |
|---|---|
 The current logo for American Girl | |
| Created by | Pleasant Rowland |
| Original work | Dolls and books released by Pleasant Company (1986) |
| Owner | Mattel |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | See American Girl (book series) |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | See American Girl (film series) |
| Short film(s) |
|
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | See American Girl (video game series) |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) |
|
| Miscellaneous | |
| Toy(s) | Various (dolls and playsets) |
| Clothing | Dress Like Your Doll |
American Girl is an American line of 18-inch (46 cm) dolls released on May 5, 1986, by Pleasant Company. The dolls portray eight- to fourteen-year-old girls of various ethnicities, faiths, nationalities, and social classes throughout different time periods throughout history.[1] They are sold with accompanying books told from the viewpoint of the girls. Originally the stories focused on various periods of American history, but were expanded to include characters and stories from contemporary life. Aside from the original American Girl dolls, buyers also have the option to purchase Truly Me dolls, which vary by eye color, face mold, skin color, hair texture, and hair length. A variety of related clothing and accessories is also available. A service for ordering a custom-made doll with features and clothing specified by the owner dubbed Create Your Own, was introduced in 2017.
Pleasant Company was founded in 1986 by Pleasant Rowland in Middleton, Wisconsin,[2] and its products were originally purchasable by mail order only. In 1998, Pleasant Company became a subsidiary of Mattel after Mattel purchased the company for $700 million.[3] The company has been awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award eight times[4] and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2021.[5][6]
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Solly, Meilan. "The Enduring Nostalgia of American Girl Dolls". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Heidemann, Emilie (2022-01-22). "American Girl plans to relocate Middleton corporate offices, consolidate warehouse operations". madison.com. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ Gregory, Stephen (1998-06-16). "Mattel Plans to Buy Pleasant for $700 Million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ "Oppenheimer Toy Award". Toyportfolio.com. Archived from the original on 2006-04-21. Retrieved 2006-05-04.
- ^ "American Girl dolls, Risk and sand were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. Yes, sand". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ Worland, Gayle (5 November 2021). "American Girl Dolls join the National Toy Hall of Fame". madison.com. Retrieved 2021-11-06.