Madame Tussauds has long been a hallmark for London like Big Ben, the Tower or Trafalgar Square. Its exhibits are wax figures of celebrities from different eras. Here are collected sculptures of politicians, stars of show business, athletes and other people who have become famous throughout the world. Any tourist who finds himself in the British capital includes this museum in the list of attractions that you must visit, because in it you can not only see the wax figures of your idols with your own eyes, but also touch them and even take pictures next to them as a keepsake.
Museum in the capital of Great Britain and its branches
Wax figures of Madame Tussauds today are presented not only in London. The institution has its branches in different countries. You can admire the wax doubles of celebrities in Berlin, Amsterdam, Tokyo, New York, Sydney and other cities. In total, the museum has 14 branches around the world. From the moment the talented female sculptor Maria Tussauds created her first wax creation, several centuries have passed, since then her institution has turned into a huge entertainment industry. Only its London branch annually visits 2.5 million tourists from all over the world.
Mary's life in France
Maria Tussauds (before her marriage she bore the name Grosholtz) was born in 1761 in Strasbourg. Her mother worked as a simple housekeeper in the house of Philip Curtis, a doctor who made wax models of famous people. It was he who became the first and only teacher for little Maria to teach her the art, which became the meaning of her whole life. In 1769, Curtis moved to Paris, taking with him a student and her mother. Here he organizes exhibitions of his works and receives orders for the manufacture of wax doubles of Louis XV, Marie Antoinette and other notable persons.
The first celebrity whose appearance the talented student of Dr. Curtis managed to capture in wax was Voltaire. This happened in 1777, when Mary was only 16 years old. Following him were the sculptures of Rousseau and Franklin. Madame Tussauds' wax figures were striking in their unusual resemblance to their originals, and the craftswoman began to receive many profitable orders. The talent of the girl was noticed by representatives of the royal family and she was invited to teach sculpture to members of the royal family. During the French Revolution, she was instructed to make posthumous masks of political and public figures sentenced to death. After the death of Curtis (1794), his entire huge collection passed to Mary. The craftswoman began to replenish her with her creations.
Mary's relocation to London, organization of a permanent exhibition
In 1802, Tussauds brought to London wax sculptures of public figures and criminals. Due to the events of the Anglo-French war, she was unable to return to Paris and was forced to stay in England, moving with exhibits from one city to another. The year 1835 turned out to be key for Maria Tussauds, since it was then that she managed to open a permanent exhibition of her works on Baker Street. From this moment begins the history of the Wax Museum, which glorified a talented woman throughout the world. At the exhibition at first about 30 figures were presented, gradually it was replenished with new ones, among which were statues of Walter Scott, Admiral Nelson and other famous personalities. The lifespan of the sculptures presented in the museum did not exceed three years, so old figures had to be regularly replaced with new ones. Only after the death of Tussauds in 1850, her sons Francois and Joseph invented a new technology for fixing wax, which helped to make the figures more durable. The children and grandchildren of Mary became worthy followers of her cause. In 1884, the waxworks of Madame Tussauds changed their address, moving to Marylebone Road. It is there that the institution is located now, welcoming its visitors.
Features of the manufacture of wax figures
Today, Madame Tussauds has been working on a sculpture for about 4 months. A professional team consisting of two dozen people is working on each figure. Making a wax double of a famous person is like jewelry work. Before making the statue, the museum staff makes several hundred measurements in order to accurately recreate the figure and facial features of the celebrity. The selection of colors to create a natural shade of the skin of the star and the formation of its hairstyle is no less painstaking work, requiring a lot of time. The result of this work is stunning: a celebrity sculpture comes out so believable that not everyone can distinguish where a copy is and where the original is.
Exhibits of the modern London Museum
The wax figures of Madame Tussauds are more than 1000 exhibits that accurately represent famous people from different eras. All members of the British royal family, presidents of leading countries of the world, writers, scientists, generals, actors, singers, musicians, etc. are represented in the exhibition halls of the museum. Any celebrity regards it as an honor to get his double in the museum, because it indicates its popularity and public acceptance. Here under one roof you can see Princess Diana, the young Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Gerard Depardieu, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin and many other famous people. Some figures move and even talk. In one of the halls modestly stands a small old woman of wax, dressed in a black outfit. This is Maria Tussauds. It is as if she has been observing from time immemorial for the huge wax empire created by her.
The Chamber of Horrors
Not only the stars are represented in the museum. There is an exhibition hall in the institution, designed for people with a strong psyche. It is called the "Chamber of Horrors." Wax figures of serial killers, maniacs hanging on the gallows of criminals are collected here. The collection is complemented by severed heads and instruments of torture. In the same room you can see the death masks of the representatives of the French royal family, made by Maria Tussauds herself. The whole hall inspires horror of visitors, therefore it is forbidden to enter here for children, pregnant women and people with poor health and unstable psyche.
Today it is difficult to meet a traveler who has visited London and did not see the wax figures of Madame Tussauds. Photos with doubles of their idols are the pride of any tourist. They usually brag, as well as pictures on the background of the Eiffel Tower or the Egyptian pyramids. You can visit the museum on weekdays from 9.30 to 15.30. On holidays and weekends, the exhibition halls of the institution are open for guests until 18.00.