Famous wax museum. madame tussauds wax museum in london

Madame Tussauds is named after its founder, Mary Tussauds. However, her interest in sculpting arose in her childhood, when she wore maiden name Anna Maria Grosholts. It was she who stood at the origins of the creation of wax figures. And her business is still alive and enjoys great popularity all over the world.

The story of an extraordinary sculptor

Mary's mother served at home with Dr. Philip Curtius, who, in addition to healing, was fond of anatomy and was engaged in the creation of anatomical models, and soon began to create various sculptures from wax to order. Little Maria often ran into his workshop and watched his work - then Curtius began to teach her the art of creating wax figures.

At the age of seventeen, Mary created her first sculpture - and it was a sculpture of Voltaire himself. Great Philosopher died a few months after the modeling session, so his wax bust, exhibited in the window of Curtius' shop, attracted buyers and helped the family establish a business.

Maria became an assistant to Curtius - she managed his affairs, helped with the organization of exhibitions and continued to make sculptures. He appreciated both the help and the girl's talent for sculptural art, and therefore subsequently bequeathed to her all his work.

Maria Grosholz became famous for her wax figures famous people so much so that she was once invited to model sculptures by members of the royal family themselves. At the time of arrival french revolution Mary was sentenced to death, but her chance to escape was the creation death masks from murdered royalty and the taking of casts of revolutionary leaders such as Robespierre, Marat and others.

A few years later, Marie married François Tussaud, a French engineer, and had two sons, Joseph and François. She continued to sculpt and create wax figures of famous people. But one day, leaving her husband who had become drunk, she and her children went on a trip to the islands of Britain and along the way continued to create sculptures of famous historical persons and British politicians.

This is how the first Madame Tussauds appeared, which at that time was a traveling exhibition - Maria carried it with her during her travels.

Soon she finally moved to the British capital. So in 1835, the same Madame Tussauds Museum appeared in London, and it was originally located on the famous street called Baker Street.

Fifteen years after the opening of the museum in London, Madame Tussauds passed away, but her business did not disappear thanks to her sons and grandchildren. Soon the museum moved to a more prestigious area of ​​the capital, on Marylebone Road. And even despite the fact that half a century after the move, Madame Tussauds lost most of the sculptures due to a fire, they were restored thanks to the surviving dummies.

the same famous museum Madame Tussauds wax figures, which is mostly meant, is still in London. The exposition of the museum usually has about four hundred wax figures.

The popularity of this place is so great that every time in front of the entrance there are huge queues of people who want to see the creations of the Tussauds dynasty. Many of the sculptures placed in the museum were made by the hands of Mary. By the way, the wax figure of Madame Tussauds is the very first sculpture that meets the audience who enter the museum building. Its author is Madame Tussaud herself, who decided during her lifetime to create her own self-portrait.

All exhibits of the collection are divided into thematic halls. "World Arena" - this is the name of the largest of these halls, which contains wax figures of famous personalities from the field of history, culture and politics of different centuries.

Visitors will also see figures of the royal family there, including Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, brother Harry and others. Politicians of the 20th and 21st centuries are also gathered here: visitors will see Indira Gandhi, Barack Obama, and many other political figures.

Separate halls are dedicated to sports stars, music world, Hollywood and even Indian Bollywood. Visitors simply run their eyes from so many star doubles: from Freddie Mercury and Jimi Hendrix to Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, from Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger to Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.

A separate room is dedicated to the most terrible historical events: famous maniacs, serial killers and their victims, instruments of torture and other thematic exhibits are placed there - since it's all made of wax. Unstable psyche, pregnancy and the age of up to twelve years are the restrictions for visiting this room of fear.

Though main museum Madame Tussauds is located in London, as well as the workshop where each figure is created, nineteen branches of the museum have been created in nineteen cities around the world. The most famous and interesting branches of the Tussauds opened in Berlin, New York and Amsterdam. Each of them contains unique sculptures, but celebrities can be repeated.

Madame Tussauds gives celebrities immortality in the form of wax figures, but some of them even experience some sort of regeneration. If a celebrity gets a tattoo or changes her hairstyle, then the masters can add or change this in an existing sculpture, introducing new elements there, but most often the wax figure of a celebrity is completely created anew.

This is due to the fact that, unlike wax sculptures, living people tend to change over time or thanks to plastic surgery. For example, the figure of the singer Kylie Minogue changed four times, and the wax figure of Michael Jackson, according to known reasons- thirteen times.

How wax figures are made

All visitors who come to the Madame Tussauds wax museum are struck by the resemblance of sculptures to celebrities. In especially successful cases, the celebrity in the photo cannot be distinguished from the wax double. But not everyone knows what is behind the creation of wax figures in the museum.

• Each wax sculpture takes great amount time, about three to four months, because the craftsmen carefully work out even the smallest details. About two hundred of these figures are produced annually.

• First, measurements are taken from the face and body of the person who wants to make a wax figure. Celebrities have to spend a lot of time in the workshop for the sculptor to collect all the necessary information: what is his model’s skin and eye color, hairstyle, hair color and shape, does she have moles, scars, tattoos, etc. And in the case when no one is left alive, modeling masters have to be guided only by photographs.

• After the measurements are taken, you need to fix the pose of the future sculpture. For this, a metal frame is used: the lower part of the figure is formed from hard metal, and the upper part is made from soft metal.

• Based on the measurements, a clay model of the model is compiled - it must exactly match its real appearance. Then the frame is formed with these clay casts.

• After that, the time comes for beeswax - they pour wet clay and wait for the figure to solidify, which takes about 170 hours. After that, the sculpture is polished, if necessary, and small imperfections are removed.

• Madame Tussauds realistically approaches all the details, so the wax figures do not wear wigs - natural hair is attached to the "skin" of the sculpture's head, strand by strand. After that, a hairstyle is formed. Hair work can take more than a month.

• Then comes the turn of teeth and eyes: for their manufacture, acrylic rubber is used.

• The skin color and "make-up" of the sculpture are created using oil paints.

• Celebrities themselves usually donate their own clothes and accessories to the wax figure.

The safety of each figure is closely monitored: the sculptures are checked before and after each exhibition day. At the same time, visitors, for example, are not forbidden to hug the wax double in order to take a photo.

If you wanted to see firsthand what one of the most unusual museums in the world looks like - Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London, then watch the following story in which you can walk through the halls of the museum with the author of the video:

London, like any world capital with ancient history, rich in attractions. Here is the famous Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park, where the action of the fairy tale about Peter Pan unfolds. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is the same symbol of London as Big Ben, but with one difference: it is a landmark with human face. More precisely, with a thousand faces- this is how many figures the museum's collection currently has.

The annual attendance of the museum is 2.5 million people. This figure is a recognition of the merits of Mary Tussauds, who two centuries ago laid the foundation for a great cause, interest in which has not faded to this day.

Marie Tussauds (nee Grossholtz) was born in Strasbourg in 1761. The future founder of the museum was trained in the art of wax modeling by Dr. Philip Curtis, for whom Mary's mother worked as a housekeeper. The girl turned out to be a very capable student and already at the age of 16 she made her first figure - Voltaire himself. Her next works were Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin.

For 30 years, Maria helped her teacher organize exhibitions and run business. Curtis appreciated such devotion, and after his death in 1794, the entire collection of the doctor's works went to Mary. Forced to leave their homeland in connection with another Anglo-French war, in 1802 Mary Tussauds moved to London.

For several decades, the collection of wax figures was traveling exhibition, with which Tussauds traveled around English cities and towns. And in 1835, at the insistence of her sons, she decided to give her congregation a permanent home.

Initially, the museum was located on the famous Baker Street, and the number of exhibited characters did not exceed 30.

The main difficulty was to ensure the safety of the figures, because after a few years the quality of the wax fell, and they lost their realism.

Therefore, the primary task of the sons of Madame Tussauds, who passed away in 1850 in her sleep, was to invent a way to increase the life expectancy of wax exhibits. This method was found and patented, and in 1884, when it became clear that the cause of Mary Tussauds was destined to live for centuries, the museum moved to a new location, where it stands to this day.

The descendants of Madame Tussauds turned out to be worthy successors of their great-grandmother's work. The museum survived a devastating fire in 1925 and a complete restoration from ruins after the German bombing in 1941, but each time the great-grandchildren of Marie Tussauds restored the collection. Over the two centuries of its history, the museum has grown significantly - its branches have opened in 19 cities around the world - but at all times it has remained a family affair.

Tussauds collection in London

The first thing anyone who wants to visit Tussauds in London will have to face is huge queue, and it seems that getting to its end is impossible. However, it moves quite quickly, and after 40 minutes you can buy a ticket at the box office.

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by Madame Tussauds herself. Rather, a figure-self-portrait, made by her own hand during her lifetime. This work opens the collection of the museum, which is placed in several thematic halls.

It will take more than one hour to inspect all the exhibits, and the most common recommendation of experienced travelers to those who are just going to visit the wax museum is that the camera charge should be full.

Inside the museum is a gallery of halls, where characters are collected, united by one theme. The largest of them is called the World Arena. Here are the figures of political and cultural figures from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The oldest exhibits keep the warmth of the hands of Madame Tussauds herself - they were made by the founder of the museum. Among the figures of Admiral Nelson and Walter Scott are moving casts of Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Bergy, and Oscar Wilde is accompanied by Shakespeare. The royal couple, Princess Diana, Princes William and Harry are also present here. The royal dynasty has recently replenished with the figure of the Duchess of Cambridge - Kate Middleton.

Another part of this hall is dedicated to the main political and religious figures of history.

In the so-called Oval Office, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Indira Gandhi, Nicolas Sarkozy and other prominent politicians of different times found a haven.

Around Barack Obama, the atmosphere of the real Oval Office in the White House is recreated, and to the left of him, Vladimir Putin keeps unchanging calm. In this hall, each visitor has a unique opportunity to shake hands with the world leader or express their opinion about his deeds.

Another part of the World Arena exposition is devoted to music. Here is Christina Aguilera coquettishly posing, looking incredulously Justin Timberlake, and on the side is Placido Domingo. Of course, this hall was not without a stage.

Gathered on it musical legends, living and deceased. Robbie Williams and Beyoncé Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury froze in anticipation of applause. On the couch at a distance is located the Liverpool four - the Beatles.

The second hall of the museum is called "The Night of the Premiere". It contains figures of Hollywood stars. Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas, Jim Carrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the image of the Terminator are located under the huge Hollywood sign.

In a separate corner, the stars of the Indian "Dream Factory" - Bollywood, froze. It is noteworthy that not only real actors are recognized as stars in Madame Tussauds, but also drawn ones, such as Shrek, Hulk and Spider-Man.

By the way, the characters of Marvel comics became the heroes of the recent museum innovation, which is very popular with children - the 4D show includes a 10-minute 3D movie, and wind, splashes and moving chairs add sensation to the audience.

The next hall, called "A List Party", hosts world-famous celebrities. George Clooney is seated at a separate table next to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who, in turn, are next to the Beckhams.

Also in this room you can shake hands with Leonardo DiCaprio, take pictures with Robert Pattinson and see the famous forms of J. Lo from all sides.

Thrill-seekers will also find entertainment to their liking in the museum.

Probably the most famous hall of the museum is called the "Room of Horror", and its exhibits illustrate the darkest and bloodiest pages of history.

Here you can find a complete collection of the severed heads of the wives of Henry the Eighth, figures of the most famous maniacs and murderers, as well as instruments of medieval torture. Incredible sensations are enhanced by the museum staff, who in dark clothes jump out of the darkness and grab the hands of visitors.

An excursion to this hall is usually accompanied by a female squeal. For those who like it, there is an opportunity for an additional fee (£100) to spend the whole night here. They say there are enough people who want to.

Another feature of the London Tussauds Museum is the opportunity to study the history of the English capital, having traveled in a mobile trailer through the exposition with views of London from its origins to the present day.

Interesting facts and features of Madame Tussauds

The unanimous opinion of those who were lucky enough to visit Madame Tussauds says: “This is incredible! They are like real ones! Indeed, looking at a photo where a celebrity stands next to his wax double, it is not always possible to accurately find a fake. Such a result is the merit of a whole team of craftsmen, in whose hands shapeless wax acquires human features.

First of all, careful measurements are made. If the person from whom the cast is made is alive, he will have to spend several hours with the sculptor, who will take about 500 measurements from him. Not the most pleasant occupation, however, world celebrities do not complain, considering it an honor to be captured in wax. If the prototype of the future figure has died, the sculptor works exclusively from photographs.

The next stage is the choice of a pose and its fixing in a metal frame. The legs are made of hard metal, and the arms are made of soft aluminum. It only takes a week to make the frame. And then the magic begins.

The frame is evenly covered with a layer of clay, on the basis of casts of which wax parts will be cast. Clay casts must be worked out in detail, because the realism of the future exhibit depends on their quality.

Then molds made of clay, moistened warm water, filled with beeswax, purified and heated to a temperature of 74 ° C. Preliminary, coloring pigments are mixed into the wax to give it a color that is as close as possible to the natural skin tone. The wax is then allowed to cool for an hour. The final stage is grinding, during which technological seams and burrs are removed from the surface of the figure.

In total, work on one figure lasts about 800 hours. Therefore, no more than 20 items are added to the collection every year. Not surprisingly, each exhibit costs more than $50,000.

Useful information for tourists: opening hours, directions, ticket prices

The location of Madame Tussauds has been unchanged since 1884. This is Marlebone Street, the full address is Marylebone Road London NW1 5LR. This building is a former planetarium near Regent's Park. The nearest tube station is Baker Street. You can get to the museum by buses No. 274, 113, 82, 74, 30, 27, 18, 13 or 3.

The museum's opening hours are as follows:

Monday - Friday: 10:00 - 17:30

Saturday - Sunday: 9:30 - 17:30

AT holidays the museum is open until 18:00, and in the period from mid-July to September - the tourist season - until 19:00. This can be used to save on the entrance ticket.

If the ticket is purchased at the box office, you will have to pay the full price for it. Experienced tourists are advised to purchase a ticket on the museum's official website with a 25% discount. Below are the prices for tickets at the box office and on the website.

• Child £30 at checkout and £22.5 on site
• Adult £25.8 at checkout and £19.29 online
• Family £111.6 at checkout and £83.69 online

As you can see, the difference is noticeable. To save even more, you can visit the museum in the evening. The site offers to start the tour after 17:00 for £15. Keeping in mind that the museum is open until 19:00 during the tourist season, this option is worth a try. In addition, tickets railways The UK is given the right to enter the museum according to the scheme 1=2, that is, 2 people for the price of 1.

From Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the visitor will not take out newly acquired knowledge, as from the Hermitage or the Louvre. His exposition is non-educational. But this does not prevent the line, which cannot be calculated by any means, even in the most cloudy weather to wrap around its building.

For many, the Marie Tussauds collection is not just entertainment and amusing photographs. This is a chance to make your dream come true and look into the eyes of someone about whom so much has been written and filmed, about whom there have been so many thoughts and dreams. After all, at all times people have sought to touch the star, even if only the one on earth and made of wax.

Madame Tussauds is the most popular and largest wax museum in the world. It exhibits more than 1000 exhibits of such different eras. The main building is located in the Marylebone area of ​​London, and its branches are "scattered" around the world.

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The history of this amazing place began almost 2 centuries ago on Baker Street (1835). However, like any story, it had its own fascinating backstory, which originated in the workshop of Dr. Curtis.

• Born in Strasbourg in 1761.
• He spent his childhood in France in the house of Dr. Philip Curtis (Tussaud's mother helped him run the household)
• Dr. Curtis first dealt with anatomical models in wax, and then with figures; the girl became his apprentice
• She created her first wax figure at the age of 16 (Voltaire)
• Also famous works Tussauds: Franklin, Rousseau, royal death masks
• When Philip Curtis passed away, he left his work to Mary

History of the Museum

Tussauds moved from France to London in 1802. In the early years of its existence, the wax exhibition was mobile and traveled around the Irish and British lands. Subsequently (1835), the sons managed to persuade their mother to settle in Baker Street. Londoners enthusiastically accepted the museum.

The Cabinet of Horrors, which was released in 1845 and continues to exist to this day, played a huge role in gaining fame for the museum. In the office were put on display: the figures of recognizable criminals and murderers of that time, as well as a collection of death masks of those who died from the Paris guillotine.

The collection of exhibits grew. There was a need for space larger area. Ultimately, in 1884, the museum changed its location to Marylebone Road. There he remained.

big fire

In 1925, a massive fire broke out in the building. Has been destroyed most of exhibits. However, the owners of the museum were very lucky: the forms remained intact, thanks to which they managed to restore the lost copies.

The invaluable contribution of the Tussaud brothers

After the death of Madame Tussauds in 1850, the museum was inherited by her sons. The contribution of the brothers to the continuation of the work of the mother is invaluable. Previously, the shelf life of the exhibits was only a few years. The heirs made tremendous efforts to find a way to extend the "life" of the figures. And found. The technology was patented, and is used almost unchanged to this day.

Museum today

In our age, when creating wax exhibits, they use modern technologies: real-like skin, special plastic for shaping the nails and eyes of figures.

Moreover, at the present time, to recreate the atmosphere of expositions, the following are used:

• Voice simulation using computer technology
• Adding additional sound effects
• Animated paintings in the background of the models
• Some exhibits are even capable of movement and reaction to visitors.

Wax Jennifer Lopez even blushes from the indiscreet looks of visitors.

Relevance of exhibits

Currently, the museum is filled not only with figures of historical figures, but also scientists, artists, politicians and other recognizable personalities and characters. Models of Madame Tussauds are always interesting and relevant. The appearance of new exhibits is solemn, noisy, with many guests and even with the presence of the press. And the figures disappear as soon as the original prototypes lose their relevance - modestly and imperceptibly.

With wax figures, you can even take pictures in an embrace or kiss on the cheek. The administration, despite the wear of especially relevant models, has nothing against it.

Museum pride and innovation

"Spirit of London" is perhaps the most interesting exposition of the museum. It shows scenes from the life of London related to different eras. From the reign of Elizabeth of England to the present.

A few years ago, a 4D show with Marvel superheroes appeared at the museum - children are delighted with this innovation. This is a 10 minute film featuring famous characters comics. 4D technology is an addition to the usual 3D special effects for all of us: moving chairs, wind, splashes.

In addition, thematic films are shown on very large screens, allowing you to plunge into the atmosphere of different historical eras London: from big fire 1666 to the 20th century.

It would seem that, children's entertainment, but most travelers consider Madame Tussauds an integral part of London's tourism program.

Ticket prices, address and opening hours

The information is indicative, the price tag is taken on a weekday in November from the official website of Madame Tussauds. Prices are in pounds.

About the prices for the scheduled day of the visit (including weekends) and what entertainment included in the price of standard and premium tickets, you can check on the official website of Madame Tussauds.

Address: Marylebone Road, London, London NW15LR

Opening hours in November:

• Mon. - Fri.: 9:30-17:30
• Sat, Sun: 9:00-18:00
• November 28 change in the schedule: 9:00-17:30

Probably, Madame Tussauds is known to each of us. The main exposition of the museum is located in London, and there are branches in almost all European capitals, and even in China and the American continent: in Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Berlin, Amsterdam and major US cities. Back in the 19th century, the museum hospitably opened its doors, but even today it enjoys great popularity, to the envy of its competitors. Everyone at least heard or even dreams of visiting and seeing with their own eyes the Madame Tussauds wax museum, but few were interested in who and when it was founded, as well as the biography of this unique woman.

Brief biographical note

In December 1761, in the German town of Strasbourg, a daughter, Maria, was born in the family of the executioner Johann-Joseph Grosholz and Anna. Just 2 months before that, Johann died in the war. But his wife Anna was not at all upset about this, since from her youth she was in love with a young and talented doctor and sculptor Philip Wilhelm Curtius.

Having lost her husband, Anna and her little daughter set off to meet her happiness in Bern, where she gets a job as a housekeeper for her lover. Curtius, by the way, along with medical practice, successfully taught, and for clarity he personally prepared study guides internal organs from wax. And given the more than modest salary of a doctor and the natural talent of Curtius, he also earned extra money by making busts of people from wax and decorating them with wardrobe elements.

In 1763, Philip Curtius, together with Anna and 6-year-old Marie, moved to Paris. Paternal affection for Marie pushed Philip to long regular classes with the girl: at first he trained her memory by giving tasks to draw people whom they accidentally met on the street, and then he began to involve the girl in the manufacture of wax figures in his medical workshop. It was in those distant years that the foundations for the creation of wax museum Madame Tussauds.

In 1771, Curtius gained fame by exhibiting sculptures of the newlyweds Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in his exhibition hall. It was Mary's stepfather - Philip Curtius - who invented the idea of ​​creating wax doubles of celebrities, which was carried out later by Tussauds. Among the regulars of the museum was even Louis XVI. Maria in those days only sold tickets at the entrance.

The creative path of Maria Grosholts

And by the age of 16, the girl knew how to make full-fledged figures on her own. The first was the statue of Francois Voltaire, who, by the way, died soon after. Today, this very first figure of Mary occupies a very honorable place in Madame Tussauds in London.

At the age of 19, the girl moved to Versailles at the invitation of Louis to teach his sister Elizabeth her skill. Already 9 months later, Marie, along with members of the dynasty, ended up in the Bastille. For several months, Marie was in a cell with the notorious Josephine, Napoleon's wife in the future. Having been released from the Bastille, the girl was not at a loss and, despite the obvious decline in the interest of French society in the museum, turned to the main revolutionary Robespierre with a proposal to create his figure for the museum. Other famous revolutionaries followed suit. Among other landmarks was the creation of a wax composition that immortalized the death of the main revolutionary Marat at the hands of Charlotte Corday. By the way, Mary also met Charlotte during her ill-fated imprisonment in the Bastille.

Then Maria, as if instinctively, returned to her father's craft - she began to cooperate with the executioners, who gave her the heads of the victims. Maria took off their death masks and exhibited them in the museum. One of the most popular was the composition "Death of a Titan", depicting the death of Robespierre.

How the wax museum Madame Tussauds was created

As already mentioned, Philip Curtius, the stepfather of Maria Grosholz (Tussaud in marriage), laid the foundation for the museum. In 1794 Mary inherited the museum on Philip's death and continued its brilliant development. A year later, the girl marries Francois, a successful engineer, and takes his surname Tussauds. With a difference of 2 years, the couple has two sons. The woman's career began to decline when Josephine invited her to her place with a request to create the figure of Napoleon.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Mary broke up with her husband and left for England. Thus, the connection between the great female sculptor and brilliant France is cut off.

For some time, Marie travels around England, tirelessly continuing to work on the collection. Madame Tussauds, whose sculptures were displayed mainly historical figures France, replenished with new faces - Richard I, Cromwell, Henry VII stood in line with others. Here Marie was helped by her old connections with the French executioners. In 1804, while traveling to Liverpool, the museum suffered a sad fate - the ship was wrecked, and all the figures sank. But Maria, with her characteristic perseverance, working around the clock, restored all the lost figures from backup casts.

Over time, the grown children actively joined the ranks of the family "business". The heirs to the thrones and even the Queen of UK Victoria herself appeared in the museum's collection. After that, almost immediately, Madame Tussauds in London became one of the most famous attractions in the UK. Yes, however, the museum generously shared its fame with the ingenious owner of the "dolls", giving her the title of one of the most famous and successful women worldwide.

On the laurels of glory

Until 1835, Mary with the museum toured the territory of England and beyond, and then settled in her mansion in London. Even old age could not temper the creative ardor of this truly amazing woman - until the age of 81 she continued to actively work on the creation of exhibits. By the way, the last figure was a self-portrait of Mary. Immediately before her death, Maria became interested in creating caricatures.

The latest history of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

It is well known that in order to be immortalized in the Tussauds, you need to be a truly outstanding person. And only one single person in history refused to create his own figure - Mother Teresa. To date, the London exposition has over 1000 exhibits.

• At the end of the 19th century, there were only about a hundred figures in the museum's collection, and all of them were stored for 2 to 3 years, and then fell into disrepair. And only the sons of Tussauds invented a method of "preserving" the figures so that the wax does not deteriorate.
• If at first the museum was mainly exhibited by politicians, now actors and singers, scientists and TV presenters, and even porn actresses have joined their ranks!
• Some of the figures presented in the exposition are able to make simple movements and even talk!
• The current value of the museum is about $2 billion.
• Children under 9 years old are not allowed to enter the museum.
• Some figures can not only move and talk, but even blush at the indiscreet looks of visitors (such as Jennifer Lopez)!

Wax figures: what else?

In addition to thousands of wax figures of celebrities from different genres, eras and peoples, in the halls of the museum you can also visit the Chamber of Horrors, and even go on a unique taxi journey through the ages.

How to get to Madame Tussauds in London?

Easy peasy! It is enough to become a sports legend, a world political leader, an international pop star... Or fly to the capital of Great Britain and hit the road to the Baker Street metro station (yes, after Tussauds, you can visit Sherlock Holmes!) , and a 2-minute walk to Marylebone is the desired museum.

Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam

There are 40 branches of the wax museum around the world, and the very first of them (after the London office, of course) was opened in Amsterdam. Here are the figures of sports stars such as David Beckham, Ronaldinho and Raphael van der Vaart. In the hall dedicated to members of the royal family, you will feel at least like a royal person - such an atmosphere of luxury reigns here. And in the hall of culture and art you will receive unique opportunity take pictures with Picasso, Van Gogh and Rembrandt. And at the same time get inspired and create your own masterpiece. But the most popular, especially among young people, is the hall of show business stars - here you will meet J. Lo, Brad Pitt, Beyoncé and even George Clooney. Particularly inventive can even lie down on the sofa next to Robbie Williams!

The Tussauds museum opened in Berlin is unique for its liveliness and realism. First, there are as many as 7 thematic exhibition halls. And secondly, here you can not only look at the sculptures, skillfully created from wax, or take pictures with them, but also directly participate in the expositions! You can take a moonwalk lesson from King of Pop Michael Jackson, sing karaoke, or create your own photo in Andy Warhol's pop art style. And, finally, you can even go backstage and see for yourself how delicate craftsmanship is - creating masterpieces from wax. And as a surprise, you can order a wax print of your hand or even a bust from the museum.

The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum boasts both the number of exhibits, the number of branches around the world, and the number of visitors, but, unfortunately, the number of fakes. In the Tussauds museum, the figures are so striking in their realism that sometimes it feels like you really got into the UK of the 19th century, and you are surrounded by French revolutionaries and Napoleon Bonaparte himself.

Anne-Marie Tussauds is called the woman who brought history to life. Its wax museum is known all over the world, in many cities there are its branches. But few people know how it all began, and what prompted the young woman to cooperate with the executioners and sculpt the masks of executed royalists, revolutionaries and criminals.

Madame Tussauds
AT official biography Madame Tussauds indicated that her father was a military man who died 2 months before the birth of his daughter. Usually, the fact that in the family of her father all the men were executioners is not mentioned. But Anna-Maria's father Josef Grossholz did not follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, he really was a soldier. However, his daughter had to deal with executioners throughout her life.

On the left is a wax figure of Voltaire, the first independent work of Madame Tussauds. On the right are the wax figures of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.

Anna-Maria was born in 1761 in France, later she and her mother moved to Switzerland. There, Anna's mother got a job as a housekeeper for famous sculptor Philip Curtis. At first he made anatomical models from wax for medical purposes, and then he turned to the creation of portraits and figures. Wax sculptures were in demand and brought their manufacturer considerable income. Soon Curtis began to create wax portraits of members of the royal family, moved to Paris and opened his own atelier. Anna-Maria watched the work of the master for hours and soon decided to try to sculpt herself. She became a student and assistant to a sculptor, and at the age of 17 she created her first independent work- Bust of Voltaire. The work was displayed in the window of the workshop, and people crowded at the windows all day long.

Wax figures of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI

In 1779, Anna Maria received an invitation to teach her skills to the king's sister, Elizabeth. For the next 10 years, she remained the court sculptor until the French Revolution began. The woman, as an accomplice of the royalists, was thrown behind bars and was about to be executed, but in last moment pardoned. She was asked to make the death masks of the executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

On the left is Madame Tussauds. On the right, Madame Tussauds creates a portrait of the guillotined Marie Antoinette.

Cooperation with the revolutionaries was forced - in case of refusal, she herself would have been deprived of her life. The collection became more and more figures of the executed victims of the revolution. All Parisian executioners knew her, who allowed them to remove masks from their victims during their lifetime and cut their hair after execution. “I paid for these relics with blood on my hands. These memories will not leave me as long as I am alive, ”she said. She also had to sculpt masks of criminals, and then she had an idea: not to show them one by one, but to line them up. plot composition crimes. This was the first step towards the creation of the museum.


Exhibits from Madame Tussauds Room of Horrors

In 1795, the woman married the engineer Francois Tussaud. Because of her husband's addiction to gambling and alcohol, the marriage did not last long, and Anna-Maria left for the UK. There she replenished her collection with wax figures of English politicians and arranged exhibitions in different cities. Subsequently, she received British citizenship and at the age of 74 opened a stationary museum in London. All the most famous people epochs were immortalized by Madame Tussauds, and people visited the expositions in droves.

Self-portrait of Madame Tussauds at the age of 81

Even as a famous and wealthy lady, Tussauds continued to work with executioners to make death masks for serial killers and notorious criminals. This is how the “room of horrors” appeared in the museum with their figures and sculptures of the victims of the French Revolution. Sometimes Madame Tussauds herself led tours for visitors. In a room with a guillotine and figures of the executed French, she said: “On the orders of the leaders of the revolution, I had to make wax casts from the heads thrown by the executioner into the basket. Just cut off by this weapon. But they are all my friends, and I would like not to part with them.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum London

Tussauds continued own life and after the death of the founder, it was replenished with new exhibits and opened branches around the world.