Madame Tussauds

 

Madame Tussauds is a famous wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud.

History

Marie Tussaudser (1761–1850) was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg, France. Her mother worked as a housekeeper for Dr. Philippe Curtius, who was a physician skilled in wax modelling. Curtius taught Tussaud the art of wax modelling. In 1765, Curtius made a waxwork of Marie-Jeanne du Barry, Louis XV's mistress. A cast of that mould is the oldest work currently on display. The first exhibition of Curtius' waxworks was shown in 1770, and attracted a large audience. The exhibition moved to the Palais Royal in Paris in 1776. He opened a second location on Boulevard du Temple in 1782, the "Caverne des Grands Voleurs", a precursor to the later Chamber of Horrors.

Tussaud created her first wax figure, of Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire, in 1777. Other famous people she modelled at that time include Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. During the French Revolution she made wax death masks of prominent victims. She would search through corpses to find the decapitated heads of the citizens which the death masks were to depict. When Curtius died in 1794, he left his collection of waxworks to Marie. In 1802, she went to London. As a result of the Franco-English war, she was unable to return to France, so she travelled throughout Great Britain and Ireland exhibiting her collection. For a time, it was displayed at the Lyceum Theatre. She established her first permanent exhibition on Baker Street in London in 1835 (on the "Baker Street Bazaar").

One of the main attractions of her museum was the Chamber of Horrors. This part of the exhibition included some victims of the French Revolution and also newly created figures of murderers and other criminals. The name was given by a contributor to Punch in 1845.

Other famous people were added to the exhibition, including Horatio Nelson, and Sir Walter Scott. Some of the sculptures done by Tussaud herself still exist. In 1842, she made a self portrait which is now on display at the entrance of her museum.

The museum moved to its current location on Marylebone Road in 1884. In 1925 a fire destroyed many of the figures, but the moulds survived, allowing the historical waxworks to be remade.

Madame Tussaud's wax museum has now grown to become a major tourist attraction in London, incorporating (until recently) the London Planetarium in its west wing. It has expanded with branches in Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York City, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, with additional locations scheduled to open in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. Today's wax figures at Tussauds include historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and famous murderers. Known as "Madame Tussauds" museums (no apostrophe), they are owned by a leisure company called Merlin Entertainments, following the acquisition of The Tussauds Group in May 2007.

Some of Tussauds wax figures

• Aishwarya Rai
• Amitabh Bachchan
• Alexis Thomas
• An Turtle
• Andreas Papandreou
• Asha Broughton
• Atatürk
• Ben Hana
• Benazir Bhutto
• Beyoncé Knowles
• Britney Spears
• Christina Aguilera
• Colin Farrell
• Constantine Karamanlis
• Diana, Princess of Wales
• Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen
• Daniel Radcliffe
• Davina McCall
• David Wright
• Eleftherios Venizelos
• Elle Macpherson
• George Clooney
• George W. Bush
• Hugh Grant
• The Hulk
• Jenna Jameson
• Poutzee Moscharie
• Jennifer Lopez
• Jessica Simpson
• Julia Roberts
• Kylie Minogue
• Dr Krishnan Appasamy
• Madonna
• Marilyn Monroe
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Michael Jackson
• Nelson Mandela
• Oprah Winfrey
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Sharon Osbourne
• Paris Hilton
• Pierce Brosnan
• Pope John Paul II
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
• Tony Blair
• Renee Haywood
• Richard III of England
• Salma Hayek
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Shahrukh Khan
• Sir George Seymour
• Spice Girls
• Usher
• Gabriel Van Helsing
• Victoria Beckham
• William Shakespeare
• Woody Allen

Sports stars

• Andy Murray (tennis)
• Arsène Wenger
• Boris Becker
• David Beckham
• David Wright
• Elena Herchert
• Fahad Hussain
• Gary Lineker
• Jackie Robinson
• Jeff Gordon
• Jesse Owens
• Joe DiMaggio
• Joe Montana
• Joe Namath
• Jonah Lomu
• Johann Schmitt
• Jonny Wilkinson
• José Mourinho
• Kaka
• Lance Armstrong
• Martina Hingis
• Michael Jordan
• Michael Owen
• Michael Schumacher
• Michelle Kwan
• Muhammad Ali
• Pelé
• Ronaldinho
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Sven-Göran Eriksson
• Tiger Woods
• Tobias Müller (Leutkirch)
• Viv Richards
• Wayne Gretzky
• Wayne Rooney
• Yao Ming

Musicians

• Aaron Kwok (Hong Kong)
• Anita Mui (Hong Kong)
• Ayumi Hamasaki (Hong Kong)
• The Beatles (Hong Kong, London)
• Bette Midler (Las Vegas, New York)
• Beyoncé (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Bob Marley (New York, London)
• Billy Idol (Las Vegas)
• Bono (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Britney Spears (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Bruce Springsteen (Las Vegas, New York)
• Christina Aguilera (Las Vegas, London, New York, Amsterdam)
• David Bowie (New York, London)
• Dean Martin (Las Vegas, New York)
• Debbie Reynolds (Las Vegas)
• Diana Ross (New York, Las Vegas)
• Duke Ellington (New York)
• Ella Fitzgerald (New York, Las Vegas)
• Elton John (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Elvis Presley (Las Vegas, Hong Kong, London, New York, Amsterdam)
• Engelbert Humperdinck (Las Vegas)
• Frank Sinatra (Las Vegas, New York)
• Freddie Mercury (London, Amsterdam)
• Gloria Estefan (Las Vegas, New York)
• James Brown (New York, Las Vegas)
• Janis Joplin (New York)
• Jarvis Cocker (London)
• Jennifer Lopez (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Jessica Simpson (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Jimi Hendrix (New York, Las Vegas, London)
• Joey Yung (Hong Kong)
• Johnny Cash (New York)
• Johnny Mathis (Las Vegas)
• Jon Bon Jovi (Las Vegas, New York, Amsterdam)
• Judy Garland (Las Vegas, New York)
• Justin Hawkins (London)
• Justin Timberlake(London, New York)
• Kylie Minogue (Hong Kong, London)
• Kelly Chan (Hong Kong)
• LeAnn Rimes (New York)
• Lenny Kravitz (Las Vegas)
• Leo Ku (Hong Kong)
• Leon Lai (Hong Kong)
• Leslie Cheung (Hong Kong)
• Liberace (Las Vegas)
• Lindsay Lohan (New York)
• Little Richard (Las Vegas)
• Liza Minnelli (Las Vegas, London)
• Saad Babba (Carlisle)
• Louis Armstrong (Las Vegas, New York)
• Lou Reed (Las Vegas)
• Luciano Pavarotti (Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London)
• Madonna (Las Vegas, Hong Kong, New York, London)
• Michael Jackson (Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London)
• Miriam Yeung (Hong Kong)
• Mick Jagger (Las Vegas, New York)
• Nicholas Tse (Shanghai)
• Neil Sedaka (Las Vegas)
• Prince (Las Vegas, New York)
• RuPaul (New York)
• Robbie Williams (London, Amsterdam)
• Sammy Davis Jr. (Las Vegas)
• Shakira (New York, Las Vegas)
• Shayne Ward (London)
• Stevie Wonder (Las Vegas, New York)
• Spice Girls (London)
• Teresa Teng (Hong Kong)
• Tim McGraw (Las Vegas)
• Tina Turner (New York, Las Vegas)
• Tom Jones (Las Vegas, London)
• Tony Bennett (Las Vegas, New York)
• Tupac Shakur (Las Vegas, London)
• Twins Charalene Choi and Gillian Chung (Hong Kong)
• Usher (New York)
• Wayne Newton (Las Vegas)
• Yoko Ono (New York)

Actors/Actresses

• Aishwarya Rai (London)
• Amitabh Bachchan (London)
• Andy Lau (Hong Kong)
• Angelina Jolie (London, New York, Shanghai)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (Las Vegas, London)
• Bae Yong Joon (Hong Kong)
• Bae Yong Joon (Hong Kong)
• Ben Affleck (Las Vegas)
• Bob Hope (Las Vegas, New York)
• Brad Pitt (Las Vegas, Hong Kong, London, New York)
• Brandon Routh (New York, New York)
• Cecilia Cheung (Hong Kong, Shanghai)
• Charlie Chaplin (London, New York)
• Connie Chan (Hong Kong)
• Cybill Shepherd (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Daniel Radcliffe (London)
• David Jason (London)
• Elizabeth Taylor (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Estelle Getty (Las Vegas)
• George Burns (Las Vegas)
• George Clooney (Las Vegas, New York)
• Gerard Depardieu (Las Vegas, London)
• Harrison Ford (London, New York)
• Hugh Grant (London, New York, Hong Kong)
• Jackie Chan (Hong Kong)
• Jenna Jameson (Las Vegas)
• Jennifer Lopez (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Joanne Woodward (Las Vegas)
• Jodie Foster (Las Vegas, New York, Hong Kong)
• Jodie Sweetin (London)
• John Wayne (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Louie Anderson (Las Vegas)
• Lucille Ball (Las Vegas, New York)
• Marilyn Monroe (Las Vegas, New York,Amsterdam, London)
• Mel Gibson (Las Vegas, London)
• Meryl Streep (Las Vegas, New York)
• Michael Caine (London)
• Michelle Yeoh (Hong Kong)
• Morgan Freeman (London, Las Vegas, New York)
• Nicolas Cage (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Patrick Stewart (Las Vegas, London)
• Paul Newman (Las Vegas, New York)
• Rajinikanth (London)
• Robin Williams (London, New York)
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (Las Vegas, London)
• Sean Connery (Las Vegas, London)
• Selma Hayek (New York)
• Shahrukh Khan (London)
• Susan Sarandon (New York)
• Sylvester Stallone (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Teri Hatcher (New York)
• The Rock (Las Vegas, London)
• Tom Baker (London)
• Whoopi Goldberg (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Will Smith (London, New York)

Others

• Al Roker (New York, Las Vegas)
• Alexander Graham Bell (New York)
• Amelia Earhart (New York)
• Blue Man Group (Las Vegas)
• Bugsy Siegel (Las Vegas, New York)
• Buzz Aldrin (Las Vegas, New York)
• Don King (Las Vegas)
• Dorothy Parker (New York)
• Elle MacPherson (Las Vegas)
• Ernest Hemingway (New York)
• Helen Keller (New York)
• Howard Brown (London)
• Hugh Hefner (Las Vegas, New York)
• Ivana Trump (Las Vegas, New York)
• Jamie Oliver (London)
• Jerry Springer (Las Vegas)
• Joan Rivers (Las Vegas)
• Josephine Baker (New York)
• Lance Burton (Las Vegas)
• Larry King (Las Vegas, New York)
• Martin Luther King (Las Vegas)
• Master Chief (Las Vegas) First video game character in Madame Tussauds
• Matt Lucas and David Walliams in the characters of Lou and Andy (London)
• Maya Angelou (New York)
• Monsters (Las Vegas)
• Nancy Travis as the character Sylvia from Three Men and a Baby (London)
• Neil Armstrong (Las Vegas, New York)
• Oprah Winfrey (Las Vegas, New York)
• Pablo Picasso (London, New York)
• Paris Hilton (New York, London)
• Rachael Ray (New York)
• Rembrandt van Rijn (Amsterdam)
• Robert Schuller (Las Vegas)
• Ryan Seacrest (Las Vegas)
• Salvador Dalí (New York)
• Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt (New York) daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, first baby in Madame Tussauds
• Siegfried & Roy (Las Vegas
• Simon Cowell (Las Vegas, London, New York)
• Singapore Girl (London)
• Ted Turner (New York)
• Vincent Van Gogh (London)
• Wolfgang Puck (Las Vegas, New York)

World leaders

• 14th Dalai Lama (New York, London, Amsterdam)
• Adolf Hitler (London)
• Anwar Sadat (London)
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu (London)
• Queen Beatrix I of The Netherlands (Amsterdam)
• Benazir Bhutto(London)
• Benjamin Disraeli (London)
• Benjamin Franklin (Las Vegas, London, New York, Washington D.C.)
• Boris Yeltsin(London)
• Deng Xiaoping (Hong Kong, London, Shanghai)
• Emperor Akihito (London)
• First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Frederik Willem de Klerk(London)
• Genghis Khan (London)
• Gerhard Schröder (London)
• Golda Meir (New York)
• Helmut Kohl (London)
• Indira Gandhi (London)
• Jacques Chirac (London, Amsterdam)
• Jiang Zemin (Hong Kong, London, Shanghai)
• John Howard (London)
• John Major (London)
• King George III (London)
• King Henry V (London)
• King Henry VIII (London, Hong Kong)
• King Hussein (London)
• Lech Walesa (London)
• Margaret Thatcher (London)
• Mary, Queen of Scots (London)
• Mikhail Gorbachev (London, New York, Amsterdam)
• Moammar Al Qadhafi (London)
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (London)
• Napoleon I of France (New York, London)
• Nelson Mandela (New York, Amsterdam, London)
• Pope John Paul II (New York, London, Amsterdam)
• President Abraham Lincoln (Las Vegas, New York, Washington D.C., London)
• President Bill Clinton (New York, Washington D.C., London, Hong Kong)
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt (New York, Washington D.C., London)
• President George W. Bush (Las Vegas, London, New York, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Amsterdam)
• President George Washington (Las Vegas, New York, Washington D.C., London)
• President John F. Kennedy (Las Vegas, Washington D.C., New York)
• President Richard Nixon (New York, Washington D.C., London)
• President Ronald Reagan (New York, Washington D.C., London)
• Prince Charles (London)
• Princess Diana (Las Vegas, New York, London)
• Queen Elizabeth II (London)
• Queen Mother (London)
• Queen Victoria (London)
• Robert Mugabe (London)
• Saddam Hussain (London)
• Tony Blair (London)
• Vladimir Lenin (Amsterdam)
• Winston Churchill (London)
• Yassir Arafat(New York, London)
• Yitzhak Rabin (London)

Madame Tussauds in popular culture

• Madame Tussauds is the focus of Steve Taylor's song 'Meltdown (at Madame Tussaud's)' in which the song talks about someone turning up the thermostat (and claims it never did work) and causing the wax figures to melt.
• The Doctor Who episode, "Spearhead from Space", features a scene at Madame Tussauds.

See also

• Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

References

• Official site
• Madame Tussaud's memoirs and reminiscences of France, by Marie Tussaud, ed. by F. Hervé, London 1838.
• French History, vol. 16, #2: "Waxing Revolutionary: Reflections on a raid on a waxworks at the outbreak of the French revolution", by David McCallam

Coordinates: 51°31′22″N, 0°09′19″W

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