Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is often called a "tourist attraction" - huge lines and a shortage of tickets unwittingly paint just such a picture in the imagination. What is so strange here? Millions of people want to see a unique collection of artifacts created by a talented wax sculptor. What is the history of the museum? How did it all start? What exhibits await tourists today? Let's find out.
A bit of history: who is Madame Tussauds?
The founder of the museum, Marie, was born in Strasbourg in the 18th century. She did not have a father, she was raised by her stepfather - Philip Curtus. The man treated the girl very well, he replaced her not only with his father, but also with his teacher and mentor. After the family moved to Paris, Philip began to make small busts of wax. Indeed, in those days there were still no cameras, and if someone wanted to capture themselves for centuries, then he ordered precisely such figures, busts. Such a pleasure was far from affordable for everyone, but it began to enjoy great popularity. Marie was so interested in this activity that she joined her with great pleasure and showed considerable talent.
What happened next?
Once Philip and his stepdaughter made a bust of Voltaire - the great philosopher. After some time, Voltaire died, and Marie and her stepfather became the only people who had a cast of a famous personality made of wax made in life! They put a bust of the philosopher on public display in the window of their shop. Of course, such a sculpture attracted many buyers. By that time, Marie had become quite an adult, she married Francois Tussauds. However, the marriage was unsuccessful. Marie was looking for help and support from her husband, understanding, and he drank a lot and was too keen on gambling. The two sons who were born to them were unable to unite their parents. Marie's wax collection was growing steadily, and marriage was falling apart at the same rate. When the cup of patience was already full, Marie left her husband, leaving himself his name and taking his sons. They moved to London, where a woman began to realize all her desires and dreams.
And in such a case can not do without difficulties
Yes, sooner or later everyone faces problems. This fate did not bypass Marie. Once a ship that was transporting waxworks to an exhibition in Liverpool drowned. This not only did not cripple Marie, but even inspired her: she restored them with double speed, sewed new costumes, and modeled hairstyles. This simply titanic work deserves respect and recognition, which, in fact, Marie received. She restored dozens of figures, and her exposition was awaited in all places with impatience and enthusiasm. Marie was quite comfortable with a nomadic way of life, but her sons - no. They offered to make a stationary exhibition, for which they bought a building in central London, which everyone today knows as Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Today, Marie’s great-grandchildren continue this business, open branches and create new masterpieces.
Wax Museum in London
Throughout her life, Marie had to make figures of a variety of people. Her first creations included not only the bust of Voltaire, but also the figures of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin. And during the French Revolution, the sculptor was entrusted with making masks of influential persons, rulers, criminals, and victims of that time. You can see all these figures in London, and their value is that all casts from nature are made. At the moment, the exhibition includes more than a thousand creations of the past and the present. The wax museum, photos of which you can see here, is open daily. The actors and politicians, and the directors of Hollywood, and the royal people, and scientists will appear to the tourist's eye. Everyone can take a photo of their favorite exhibit. Just imagine, Napoleon and Robespierre were fashioned by Madame Tussauds from nature! And what are the smells, sounds and even moving figures!
Horror room
This is a place in the museum that especially attracts people. The fact is that in her life, Marie often had to face death. Since she was a well-known master in Paris, the leaders of the revolution instructed her to take casts from the faces of the victims of the guillotine, which were already beheaded. The horror room presents not only these, but also other types of punishments, crimes from history.
Museum in London today
Not only busts and figures from the past include a wax museum, there are plenty of modern music and movie stars. What are the charming and feminine Audrey Hepburn, the unforgettable Elvis Presley, the courageous Bruce Willis, the muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger! Particular attention should be paid to Brad Pitt and his former girlfriend - Jennifer Aniston.
The thing is that the masters work on every exposure almost every day, because people change, which means that the sculpture must also be transformed in order to show the real state of things. When Brad and Jennifer were together, the sculptors created a beautiful wax couple. They stood next to each other, even hugging a little, demonstrating their love. After the separation of young people in real life, the sculpture became irrelevant, they had to be divided, which cost the museum a tidy sum.
The Wax Museum is particularly proud of the composition on the theme of Christmas - the birth of little Jesus. The roles of Joseph and Mary were entrusted to David and Victoria Beckham. This decision was not spontaneous, it was accepted by visitors in the process of filling out special questionnaires. According to the majority, the magicians were George W. Bush, Tony Blair and the Duke of Edinburgh. The angel is Kylie Minogue, and the shepherds are Samuel Jackson, Hugh Grant and Graham Norton.
Where are the branches of the main museum?
According to 2013 data, the wax museum has branches in 13 locations: in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Washington, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, and also in Canada . Each of them is a real show where the sculptures move and talk in the spirit of the past.
By the way, it is worth discussing the question of why many people think that there is a wax museum in Paris. In 1881, Arthur Meyer, a journalist, had a burning desire to arrange something like Madame Tussaud's. He wanted to create the people that were written about in his newspaper. Today, there are approximately 500 figures, and the place is also popular with tourists.
And the wax museum is today a London attraction that everyone wants to see!