Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is widely known all over the world. Now its branches exist in many cities in Europe, Asia and America.
How it all began
The founder of the museum, sculptor Anna Maria Tussaud (née Grosholz) learnt the art from the famous wax figure master Philippe Curtis in Bern. Curtis organised his first exhibition of wax figures in 1770 and it was a great success. Maria Grosholz created her first sculpture, a portrait of Voltaire, in 1777. Then there were portraits of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin, and during the French Revolution she made posthumous masks of many executed men. After Curtis's death in 1794, Mary inherited his collection of wax figures. In 1795 she marries François Tussauds, and it is under this name that the museum will become famous worldwide.
In the following years, Madame Tussauds travelled extensively with her collection in Europe. In 1802 she comes to London, but because of the outbreak of the Anglo-French War, she cannot return to France. She travelled around Britain and Ireland, and in 1835 settles in London, in Baker Street. Here the first permanent exhibition of the Wax Museum opens.
Madame Tussauds London
The main attraction of the museum was the Room of Horrors - depictions of victims of the French Revolution and of murderers and other criminals. Gradually portraits of famous people - Admiral Nelson, Walter Scott - were added to the collection. Some figures made by Marie Tussaud herself have survived to this day. Her self-portrait, created in 1842, has also survived - now it is in the museum's lobby.
The collection grew even after Madame Tussaud's death, and in 1884 the museum moved to a building on Marylebone Road, where it remains today. The wax figures were badly damaged by fire in 1925; bombing during the World War II also caused considerable damage. Fortunately, however, the casting moulds survived and the figures were restored. The oldest wax figure in the museum is a depiction of Madame du Barry (1865), the mistress of King Louis XV.
Now the Madame Tussauds museum exhibits portraits of many celebrities: famous athletes, actors, political figures and historical figures.
On a side note
- Location: Marylebone Road, London.
- Nearest tube station: "Baker Street"
- Official website: http://www.madametussauds.com
- Opening hours: daily Monday to Friday 10.00am - 5.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9.30 am - 5.30 pm.
- Tickets: adults, £28.80; children, £24.60; family, £99.00.
