​Nancy Ann was the popular collecting doll from the 1940's and 1950's and every little girl had one or wanted one. Doll designer Nancy Ann Abbott was in search of a film career and in between her roles she put her arts and crafts talents to good use.  Tiny dolls often were dressed in outfits resembling the costumes in whatever movie she was working on and were often given away to friends on the set.  As her dreams of becoming a Hollywood star dimmed, she saved pennies by and opened a shop in San Francisco decorating with her beautiful dressed dolls.  In 1936 the Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls Company was ready for business.