Madame Tussauds London Wax Museum – history, interesting facts
Big Ben, London Eye, Tower, Buckingham Palace, British Museum… After mentioning London, many famous sights immediately spring to mind. However, by far one of the most famous and exciting is Madame Tussauds London.
Madame Tussauds – the story of the founder
The creator of the famous Madame Tussauds museum, Marie Tussaud, was far from a pioneer in her field. And it turns out that she was not English by birth, as many people think. Marie Tussaud saw the light in the French city of Strasbourg and received her skills from the recognized master of wax sculpture, Philip Curtis. The talented student very quickly surpassed her teacher in wax sculpture and by the age of 18 she began teaching the art of wax modeling even to Princess Elizabeth.
The history of the creation of Madame Tussauds Museum in London
By 1802, Madame Tussaud already had a small collection of her own sculptures. However, she spent the next three decades traveling throughout England, showing her works to the public. It was only in 1835, after persistent persuasion from members of her family, that she decided to open a permanent exhibition on Baker Street. Success came quickly, and Londoners began lining up to see Madame Tussauds’ wax figures. Particularly popular was the “Cabinet of Horrors,” which opened a little later and was a collection of death masks of those who died under the guillotine during the Paris Revolution.
Museum in our time
The modern museum has long since moved from Baker Street to Marylebone Road, and after the death of Madame Tussauds, the collection of this museum continues to actively expand.
Nowadays, it takes about 4 months of work to create one figure. It is important to note that this is no longer the work of one sculptor, but the collective effort of a team of 20 experienced craftsmen! When it comes to hair, only natural hair is used for figures, and multiple applications of dye are used to achieve as close to the natural skin tone as possible.
Branches of the museum have already opened their doors in Amsterdam, New York, Shanghai and many other cities. But the main museum with the most extensive collection is still located in London. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the sculptures, unique works of art that are true gems of Great Britain.
The legendary Cabinet of Horrors has been preserved, and the number of sculptures in the museum has exceeded a thousand. Here visitors can meet wax doubles of famous actors, politicians, musicians and scientists. The museum’s artists are always at the center of events, quickly responding to world events. Whenever a new president appears in a country or a new Hollywood star is born, a corresponding wax statue instantly appears at Madame Tussauds London.
Among the museum’s many galleries, where great artists past and present have left their mark, a modest figure can be spotted. A small old lady with a pointed nose, dressed in a black dress, flashes among many masterpieces. This is exactly the famous Madame Tussauds who embodied her passion in creating the museum, which is now one of the key attractions of England.