American Girl has been making dolls for 40 years, and every historical doll comes with a real moment in history. I visited the New York store, had my American birthday lunch in the cafe, and counted my collection.
American Girl logo used with permission. Abby's Labs is independent and was not paid for this story.
I collect American Girl dolls. I have more than 22 of them now, so visiting the big American Girl store in New York was always going to be a highlight of the trip.
It is also the store's 40th anniversary this year, so there were birthday decorations everywhere, and a glass case at the entrance full of the historical dolls from the very beginning.
## A doll company that started with history
American Girl began in 1986. It was started by Pleasant Rowland, a teacher and writer from the United States. She visited a historic town called Colonial Williamsburg and thought history should feel real and exciting for kids, not just like dates in a textbook.
So the first three dolls were not just dolls. Each one was a girl from a different time in American history, and each came with a set of books about her life. Samantha lived in 1904. Kirsten was a Swedish girl moving to a new farm in 1854. Molly lived during the Second World War in 1944.
That is still the big idea. Every historical doll has a story that teaches you what life was like then: what girls wore, what they ate, what school was like and what problems their families faced.
## Why my dolls are really history books
When you get a historical doll, you end up learning about her time without even trying. Her clothes, her accessories and her books are all researched so they match the real period.
Some of the stories are about hard things too, like war, moving to a new country, or not being treated fairly. I think that is the best part. It makes you ask questions about why things were the way they were.
The newer "Girl of the Year" dolls are different. There is a new one each year, and she is about a girl living now, often with a hobby or a cause she cares about.
## Lunch with my doll
The store has its own cafe, and the dolls get to come to lunch. Every doll gets her own little chair that clips onto the table, so she sits right next to you.
The room is completely pink, with a flower pattern carved into the ceiling and glowing lamps. This was also my American birthday lunch. We celebrated my birthday here in New York, so I got to wear a pink "It's my birthday" sticker all through lunch, and the staff made a fuss of me.
We had a tall three-level stand of snacks and fruit, and I also had a burger and chips. Having a birthday lunch in a doll cafe, on the other side of the world from home, with one of my own dolls sitting next to me, is something I will remember for a very long time.
## What I noticed
- The store is laid out like a museum, with dolls from each time period shown together. - Lots of families came with their own dolls, some very old and well loved. - There is a doll hair salon where staff fix up dolls' hair.
Collecting is fun, but my favourite thing about American Girl is that every doll is a way into a real story from the past.