Madame Tussaud 
Marie Tussaud

Marie Tussaud was born in Strasbourg in France 1761. Her mother worked as housekeeper to Philippe Curtius. He was an wax modeller and it was he who educated Marie. When she was nineteen years old she worked as an art teacher to the sister of King Louis XVI and she stayed at the Palace of Versailles until she was twenty-eight years old. During the French Revolution, Marie took death masks from the heads of prisoners who had been guillotined. When Philippe Curtius died in 1794 he left his wax model exhibition to Marie. Eight years later she moved to England. Finally she was settled in London with her collection in 1835. The models were bequeathed to her two sons. In 1884 the exhibition was moved to its present location in Marylebone Road.

Making the wax portraits

Many celebrities have been invited to the private studio of Madame Tussaud’s exhibition. The wax modellers are taking measurements and photographs that will be used when they create a wax replica. The character’s hands are always modelled from real life. When they do a wax figure they start with making a clay model. Then they take plaster negative from which the wax version is cast. Different experts are adding the eyes, makeup and real human hair. The models are then assembled and dressed. 

They have made a show at Madame Tussaud called "The Spirit of London". In the show are moving and talking wax figures acting. This show was opened in 1993. The show is planned and programmed by a team of engineers and the show cost ten million pounds to build.

The Chamber of Horrors

Before Marie Tussaud’s exhibition settled in London, she toured all over the country with the models for many years. She exhibited her collection of death masks of French nobility and the guillotine blade that was used to behead Marie Antoinette together with the collection of murders and villains. This characters are kept in a separate room called "The Chamber of Horrors" that is popular with the public.