Photo excursion to Madame Tussao Museum. Wax figures museum Madame Tussao

Anna-Maria Tussao is called a woman who revived history. Her museum of wax figures know all over the world, in many cities there are its branches. But few people know about what it all began, and that the young woman encouraged to cooperate with the executioners and sculpt the masks of the executed royalists, revolutionaries and criminals.

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

Left - Voltaire Wax Figure - the first independent work of Madame Tussao. Right - wax figures Mary Antoinette and Louis XVI

Anna-Maria was born in 1761 in France, later they moved to Switzerland with her mother. There, Anna's mother settled to work as a housekeeper to the famous sculptor Philip Kurtis. At first he made anatomical models from the wax for medical purposes, and then engaged in creating portraits and figures. Wax sculptures were in demand and had considerable income to the manufacturer. Soon Kurtis began to create wax portraits of the royal family members, moved to Paris and opened his own atelier. Anna-Maria has watched the work of the master and soon he herself decided to try to sculpt. She became a student and a sculptor assistant, and already at the age of 17 created his first independent work - Bust Voltaire. The work was put in a shop window workshop, and people crowded the windows for all day.

Wax figures Mary Antoinette and Louis XVI

In 1779, Anna-Maria received an invitation to teach the sister of King Elizabeth to his skill. Over the next 10 years, it remained a court sculptor, until the Great French Revolution began. A woman as a package of royalists threw behind the bastard and were going to execute, but at the last moment was pardoned. She was offered to make the posthumous masks of the executed Louis XVI and Mary-Antoinette.

Left - Madame Tussao. On the right - Madame Tussao creates a portrait of guillotinized Maria Antoinette.

Cooperation with revolutionary was forced - in case of refusal, it would have deprived of life. The collection was becoming more and more figures of executed victims of the revolution. She knew all the Parisian executioners who allowed the masks from their victims during his lifetime and squeeze their hair after execution. "I paid for these relics by the fact that my hands were in the blood. These memories will not leave me while I am alive, "she said. She had to sculpt the masks of criminals, and then she had an idea: not to show them one by one, but to build a plot composition of the crime. This was the first step towards creating a museum.


Exhibits from the horror room Museum Madame Tussao

In 1795, a woman married Engineer Francois Tussao. Because of the preferences of the husband for gambling and alcohol, the marriage did not last long, and Anna-Maria went to the UK. There, she replenished her collection with wax figures of English politicians and satisfied the exhibitions in different cities. Subsequently, she received British citizenship and in 74 he opened a stationary museum in London. All the most famous people of the era were immortalized by Madame Tussao, and people visited the exposure to the crowds.

Self-portrait Madame Tussao at the age of 81

Even being a famous and wealthy lady, Tussao continued to cooperate with the executioners - to produce post-mortem masks of serial killers and famous criminals. So in the museum there was a "horror room" with their figures and sculptures of the victims of the French revolution. Sometimes Madame Tussao independently conducted excursions for visitors. In a room with guillotine and figures of executed French, she said: "On the orders of the leaders of the revolution, I had to make wax casts from the heads abandoned by the bill in the basket. Just cut off this to the gun. But they are all my friends, and I would not want to part with them. "

Museum of wax figures Madame Tussao in London

The Tussao Museum continued his own life and after the death of the founder, he was replenished with new exhibits and opened branches worldwide.

Museum of wax figures Madame Tussao in London

Which of us at least once in life I dreamed of meeting with the celebrity? Ask an autograph at the singer's favorite group or take pictures with a popular actor? Interest in people who achieved great success in creativity, sports or politics, lives in each of us.
Beautiful and great admire and attracts. However, just like a terrible and disgusting ... But in real life, few people are lucky to take a picture in an embrace with Hollywood's beauties, shake hands to the president or fearlessly to look into the eyes of the most cruel and terrible maniacs. Exception - Lucky, who visited Madame Tussao Museum in London! Or his branch in another city, although any branch far to the Main Museum.

Madame Tussao Museum (FR. Madame Tussauds) - The world's most famous museum of wax figures based on the sculptor Maria Tussao and located in Marylebone, the prestigious area of \u200b\u200bLondon. The museum has branches in the 14 largest cities of the world (New York, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Vienna, Berlin, etc.). Expositions of branches are over thousands of wax sculptures of outstanding politicians, movie stars and pop, historical figures. But the most famous and interesting museum Madame Tussyo in London. In the year he is visited by more than 2.5 million people and it says a lot.

The history of Madame Tussyo Museum began with the cold December day, when in 1761 in Strasbourg (France) in the family of an officer and a simple Swiss girl was born a daughter called Maria. The girl's father died in war shortly before her birth, and soon Mary's mother with her and the rest of the children moved to another city - Bern. There she got a job by housekeeper to Dr. Philip Wilhelm Kurtius. The Doctor had an unusual passion - he did anatomically faithful models of people from wax. As it turned out, the meeting of the Old Doctor and the Little Mary was fateful.
In 1765, Dr. Kurtius moves to Paris. Two years later, Maria, together with his mother, joins him. Mother continues to work by housekeeper, and Baby Maria begins to learn the art of creating wax sculptures. Already then, in childhood, she manifests a deep interest and talent to the reconciliation of the exact images of people from wax. Doctor, seeing a diligent student in it, willingly shared with the girl secrets of his skill.

In Paris, Kurtius decides to show his work to the general public. The first exhibition took place in 1770 and had a deafening success. Wax copies of real people, including, for example, Madame Dubarry (Favorite King Louis XV), fell to taste to Parisians.

Maria in those years also works to create its own sculptures, which will later be among the exhibits of the Madame Tussao Madame Madame in London. Among the others were wax wax figures (its first sculpture), Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin.
Meanwhile, Phillip Kurtyus continues to arrange exhibitions in Paris. Among them, it is especially worth noting the one that went in 1782 on the Boulevard du Tampl. The shocked spectators saw to the trembling the believable wax sculptures of famous killers and executed criminals. It was this exhibition that became the prototype of the horror room, which the Madame Tussao Madame Museum in London is so famous.

Meanwhile, the streets of Paris becomes restless - the revolution is nearing. In 1789, rebels with screams and broke through the streets carry wax figures of hated politicians performed by Maria. With the change of power, Maria is arrested and imprisoned, where she meets Josephine Bogarna - the future wife of Napoleon. From the guillotine, Maria saved only the fact that after the death of one of the leaders of the revolution - Robespierre, she was invited to make posthumous masks for him and his killer.
After the liberation, Maria returns to the workshop of Dr. Kurtius, who by that time he had already passed away, but he managed to make his collection of student. In 1802, Maria is married to the engineer Francois Tussao and becomes Madame Tussao. The collection of the figures of Mary itself continues to increase, grows and its popularity. But the husband begins to drink and play a state in the card, so Maria throws him and, grabbing the eldest son and his collection, moves to the UK.

In 1835, on the famous Baker Street Street in London, the first exhibition of wax figures opened. From this point on, the history of Madame Tussyo Music in London, which has lived to 88 years old, has time to create many amazing sculptures for their lives.

Today, Madame Tussao Museum is located in one of the most wealthy and prestigious regions of London - Marylebone, on Marylebon Road Street. This is the north of Westminster, not so far from Trafalgar Square.

The museum contains more than 400 wax sculptures depicting famous people of various eras. Each sculpture is performed as accurately and carefully that at first it hardly believes that you are not real people from flesh and blood, and their copies from wax! Therefore, it is not surprising that the manufacture of only one figure takes up to 6 months, and its cost is $ 50,000.

Entering the museum, visitors see ... No, not known politician or actor. They are met by the figure of a small elderly woman. She is dressed in a black dress and a snow-white cape. Eyes on a round good-natured face look through glasses of glasses carefully and friendly. This is a wax sculpture of Madame Tussaco - a stunning woman, the hostess of this extraordinary place.
Passing through the halls of Madame Tussao Madame in London, visitors will see almost all more or less famous people of history and modernity.

Music lovers can admire the legendary Bittles group, imposingly launched on a velvet sofa, or shocking Michael Jackson. Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn quite like alive, hundreds of times more real than on the screen.

Some particularly significant historical figures are given increased attention. Napoleon Bonaparte, with his wife, who was familiar to Madame Tussao, were distinguished by two two halls. There, besides the figure of the greatest conqueror, you can see his personal belongings, such as a hiking bed of the commander.

A separate exposition of Madame Tussao Madame in London is dedicated to the royal family of Great Britain. Here and Elizabeth II, and Princess Cambridge Kate Middleton, and Princes of the British Crown William and Harry. Of course, the workshop performed the figure of the princess Diana is present.

Do not forgotten cultural figures and people of science. Albert Einstein learn from published, according to his famous hairstyle. You can also "get acquainted closer" with Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde.
With all exhibits you can freely take pictures (hugging and touching the figures is not forbidden!.

This is a great opportunity to become the owner of a common photo with famous politicians (Barack Obama, George Bush, Vladimir Putin), Stars of pop and cinema (Madonna, Britney Spears, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise), or outstanding athletes (David Beckham , Eli Manning). And maybe someone would prefer the photo with supermodel and actress Kate Moss, or the scandalous-famous Slek lioness Paris Hilton.

Special part of the Madame Tussao Museum in London, his creepy "Ducts", this is a horror room. That is the most, prototype and source of ideas for which the Horror Cabinet of Dr. Kurtius - Madame Tussao teacher.
The horror room completely justifies its name and can make a very strong impression. Therefore, cores, pregnant women and small children are not allowed there. And then you never know what ...

The same brave, who will decide to visit the alarming dull light room of horror, will see the grim out of English history. Here are collected wax figures of the most famous English thieves, killers and traitors. Glazing soul thrill causes Jack Ripper - a serial killer, wrapped on the streets of London in the XIX century. And the remaining not caught.
Pover's a gloomy picture of atmospheric sound background: cries of trying people, plenty of help, crunch grinding on the dabbones. Add costumed views of the applied actors suddenly popping out from behind the corner, and you will surely agree that it's really not worth the children and people with a weak heart!
And although you understand the mind that the horror room is the usual, albeit the most terrible exhibition when you are in it, it is difficult to get rid of the impression that you follow someone's evil and ruthless look. In the end, surprisingly, but the fact - when a fire happened in Madame Tussao museum (in 1925), in which almost all wax figures died, the fire for some reason did not affect the horror room ...

Madame Tussao Museum in London continues to actively develop. A collection of wax figures is continuously replenished with realistic copies of famous personalities. The administration necessarity ensures that the Madame Tussao Museum is presented with wax twins of all the most popular (or scandalous) currently of politicians, actors, singers, athletes, showmen and musicians.
Nearby Madame Tussao Museum in London and from new products of technical progress. To make exposures more exciting and dynamically apply the most advanced computer technologies and achievements of modern chemistry.
In order to ensure greater attractiveness in the manufacture of figures, a special plastic, imitating nails and eyes, is used, as well as artificial leather. In addition, to recreate the spirit of the epoch, to which the wax sculpture belongs, the costumes of the time, scenery, sound effects are widely used.

Moreover, wax figures can now move and talk! They even respond to a certain way on the behavior of visitors. For example, the figure Jennifer Lopez blues, when it is unceremoniously staring at her "outstanding" part of the body.
It is especially worth noting the Madame Tussyo attraction "Spirit of London" provided at the end of the tour of the museum. This is an exciting journey through medieval London! Visitors are seated by miniature taxi cabins that are carrying them through the halls where the past comes to life. Moreover, "comes to life" literally - the characters welcome passing by the guests, they make their hands, the military is honored. The trip to the horror room, which was talked above.
Describe all the wonder museum Madame Tussao in London the task is unbearable. It is unlikely that you can convey all the impressions of this amazing "kingdom of twins" with words and photographs. One thing is not doubtful - there is little such unusual and fascinating places as Madame Tussao among the attractions of London.

Wax figures Mary Antoinette and Louis XVI

... And they say that the British have no sense of humor!
See how fun is preparing to meet Christmas at Madame Tussao Museum in London.
All the royal family changed in the fun New Year's sweaters. Moreover, it is necessary to assume that the royal family is in the know and not at all offended.
The most cool sweaters on the Queen of Mother and Prince Harry, the queen picked up the image of a dog's favorite breed. Corgi, by the way, are also present in the photo, and also in merry multicolored clothes.
A couple of Prince William and his wife Catherine dressed in one sweater, which is symbolic.
The most boring outfit at Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles, and in his turn - the most ridiculous outfit.
Actually, the attitude towards members of the royal family is expressed in these outfits - whether the museum workers are, or the whole nation as a whole.

Original report

Madame Tussao Museum named its founder, Maria Tussao. However, her interest in sculpture arose in his childhood, when she was walked by the name Anna Maria Grosholz. It was she who stood at the origins of the creation of wax figures. And her case still lives and enjoys great popularity worldwide.

History of extraordinary sculptor

Mary Mary served in the house of Dr. Philippe Kurtius, who, in addition to healing, was fond of anatomy and was engaged in creating anatomical uniforms, and soon began to create various sculptures from wax to order. Little Maria often ran to him into the workshop and watched his work - then Kurtius began to teach her skill to create wax figures.

At the age of seventeen, Maria created its first sculpture - and it was the sculpture of Voltaire himself. The great philosopher died a few months after the modeling session, so his wax bust, exposed on the shop window of the Kurtius shop, greatly attracted buyers and helped the family to establish a business.

Maria became the assistant of Kurtius - he led him, helped with the organization of exhibitions and continued to make sculptures. He appreciated and help, and the talent of the girls to sculptural art, and therefore later he visited her all his works.

Maria Grosholz became famous for his wax figures of famous personalities so that one day it was invited to simulate the sculptures of the members of the royal family themselves. During the arrival of the French revolution, Maria was sentenced to execution, but her chance was to be saved by the creation of posthumous masks from the killed royal people and the removal of blinds from revolutionary leaders, such as Robespierre, Marat and others.

A few years later, Maria married Francois Tussao, a French engineer, and gave birth to two sons, Joseph and Francois. She continued to engage in sculpture and create wax figures of famous people. But one day, throwing her husband who hit drunkenness, she went on a journey through Britain's Islands and continued to create sculptures of famous historical persons and British politicians.

Thus, the first Madame Tussao Madame Madame, which was then represented by a mobile exhibition - Maria took her during his travels.

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

Fifteen years after the opening of the museum in London, Madame Tussao went out of life, but her business did not disappear thanks to sons and grandchildren. Soon the Museum moved to a more prestigious area of \u200b\u200bthe capital, to Marylebon Road. And even though half a century after moving Madame Tussao, Madame Tussao lost most of the sculptures because of the fire, they managed to restore them thanks to the preserved uniforms.

The most famous museum of wax figures Madame Tussao, which basically mean, is still in London. The exposition of the museum usually consists of about four hundred wax figures.

The popularity of this place is so great that every time the entrance is gathering a lot of more than those who wish to see the creations of the Tussao dynasty. Many sculptures posted in the museum were still made by Mary's hands. By the way, Madame Tussao wax figure is the very first sculpture that meets the audience, which are included in the museum building. Its author is Madame Tussao herself, who decided to create his own self-portrait during his lifetime.

All collections are divided by thematic chairs. "World Arena" is the so-called the largest of these halls, which accommodates the wax figures of famous personalities from the field of history, culture and policies of different centuries.

Visitors will see there and the figures of the Royal Family, including Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, Brother Harry and others. The politicians of the 20th century and the XXI century are also collected here: visitors will see and Indica Gandhi, and Barack Obama, and many other political figures.

Separate halls are dedicated to the stars of sports, musical world, Hollywood and even Indian Bollywood. Visitors simply disagree from such a number of star twins: from Freddie Mercury and Jimi Hendricks to Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, from Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger to Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.

A separate hall is devoted to the most terrible historical events: famous maniacs, serial killers and their victims, torture, and other thematic exhibits are placed, torture and other thematic exhibits are made from wax. Unstable psyche, pregnancy and age up to twelve years - restrictions for visiting this fear room.

At least the main museum Madame Tussao is located in London, like a workshop where every figure is created, nineteen branches of the museum have been created in nineteen cities of the world. The most famous and interesting branches of the Tussaco Museum opened in Berlin, New York and Amsterdam. In each of them there are unique sculptures, but celebrities can be repeated.

Madame Tussao Museum gives celebrities immortality in the form of wax figures, but some of them even experience a kind of regeneration. If the celebrity does a tattoo or change the hairstyle, then the masters can add or change in an already existing sculpture, bringing new elements there, but most often celebrity wax figure is completely created.

This is due to the fact that, in contrast to wax sculptures, live people to change over time or due to plastic surgery. For example, the figure of the singers Kylie Minogue changed four times, and Michael Jackson wax figure, for known reasons - thirteen times.

How to create figures from wax

All visitors who come to Madame Tussyo's wax figures museum is striking the similarity of sculptures with celebrities. In particularly successful cases, the celebrity in the photo cannot be distinguished from twin from wax. But not everyone knows what is behind the creation of wax figures in the museum.

• The manufacture of each wax sculpture is a huge amount of time, about three to four months, since the masters carefully work out even the slightest details. About two hundred such figures are produced annually.

• First, measurements are taken from the face and the human body, according to which they want to make a wax figure. Celebrities have to spend in the workshop of the mass of time so that the sculptor collected all the necessary information: what model is the skin color and eye, hairstyle, color and shape of the hair, whether she has moles, scars, tattoos, etc. and in the case when The person did not remain alive, modeling masters have to be guided only by photos.

• After the measurements are removed, you need to consolidate the posture of future sculpture. For this, a metal frame is used: the lower part of the figure is formed from the rigid metal, and the upper one is made of soft.

• Based on measurements, a clay model layout is drawn up - it must accurately comply with its real appearance. Then these clay casts are drawn up frame.

• After that, the time of bee wax occurs - they pour wet clay and wait for the shape of the figure, which takes about 170 hours. After that, the sculpture is grinning, if necessary, and minor imperfections are removed.

• Madame Tussao Museum is realistic to all the details, so the shapes from wax do not wear wigs - natural hair is attached to the "skin" of the sculpture head, strands behind the strands. After that, hairstyle is formed. Hair work can take more than a month.

• There comes a turn of teeth and eyes: acrylic rubber is used for their manufacture.

• Skin color and Makeup sculptures are created using oil paints.

• His own clothing and accessories of the wax figure are usually given celebrities themselves.

The safety of each figure is very closely monitored: sculptures are tested before each exhibition day and after it. At the same time, visitors, for example, are not forbidden to hug a wax twin to make a photo.

If you wanted to see how one of the most unusual Museums of the world looks like - Madame Madame Tussao Museum in London, then watch the next plot in which you can stroll through the museum's halls along with the author of the video:

It has long been for London the same business card as Big Ben, Tower or Trafalgar Square. Its exhibits are wax figures of celebrities of different eras. Here are collected sculptures of politicians, show-business stars, athletes and other people who have glorified for the whole world. Any tourist, which turned out to be in the British capital, includes this museum to the list of attractions that need to be visited, because it can not only see the wax figures of their idols, but also to touch them and even take pictures next to them.

Museum in the capital of Great Britain and his branches

Wax figures Madame Tussao Museum today are represented not only in London. The institution has its branches in different countries. You can admire the wax in Berlin, Amsterdam, Tokyo, New York, Sydney and other cities. In total, the museum has 14 branches around the world. From the moment when the talented woman sculptor Maria Tussao created her first wax creation, several centuries have passed, since then its facility has turned into a huge entertainment industry. Only London his office annually visits 2.5 million tourists from all over the planet.

Life Mary in France

(To the marriage, she wore Grosholz surname) was born in 1761 in Strasbourg. Her mother worked as a simple housekeeper in the house of Philip Kortis - a doctor who was engaged in the manufacture of wax uniforms of famous people. It was he who became the first and only teacher who trained her art, which became the meaning of her life for a little Mary. In 1769, Kurtis moves to Paris, capturing a student and her mother with him. Here he organizes exhibitions of his works and receives orders for the manufacture of wax twins of Louis XV, Mary-Antoinette and other noble people.

The first celebrity, whose appearance of a talented student of Dr. Kurtis managed to capture in the wax, was Voltaire. It happened in 1777, when Mary was only 16 years old. Following him, the sculpture of Rousseau and Franklin followed. Madame Tussao wax figures hit their unusual similarities with their originals, and the craftswoman began to receive many favorable orders. The girl's talent was noticed by the representatives of the monarch and she was invited to teach the sculptural art of the members of the royal family. In the period of the French revolution, she was instructed to produce posthumous masks of political and sentenced to execution. After the death of Kortis (1794), his whole huge collection was transferred to Mary. The craftswoman began to replenish it and his creations.

MARIA TO LONDON, organization of a permanent exhibition

In 1802, Tussao was lucky in London wax sculptures of public figures and criminals. Because of the events of the Anglo-French War, she could not return to Paris and was forced to stay in England, moving with exhibits from one city to another. 1835 was key to Mary Tussao, as it was then that she managed to open a permanent exhibition of his work on Baker Street. From that moment on, the history of the museum of wax figures, glorifying a talented woman to the whole world begins. At first, about 30 figures were first presented, it was gradually replenished with new ones, among which were statues of Walter Scott, Admiral Nelson and other famous personalities. The sculptures presented in the museum did not exceed three years, so the old figures regularly had to replace new. Only after the death of Tussao in 1850, her sons of Francois and Joseph invented a new wax fixing technology, thanks to which the figures were more durable. The children and grandchildren of Mary have become worthy followers of her business. In 1884, the wax figures of the Madame Tussao museum changed the address by moving to Marylebon Road. It is there that the institution is located and now, welcoming his visitors.

Features of the manufacture of wax figures

Today, about 4 months work on the creation of a single sculpture of Madame Tussao. Above each figure is a professional team consisting of two dozen people. Making the wax twin of a well-known person like jewelry work. Before making a statue, the museum staff spend several hundred measurements, in order to recreate the figure and celebrities. Selection of color to create a natural shade of the skin of the star and the formation of its hairstyle - no less painstaking work, requiring a lot of time. The result of such a work is obtained by staggering: the celebrity sculpture comes out so plausible, which is distinguished by a copy, and where the original, it turns out far from everyone.

Exhibits of the modern London Museum

The wax figures of the museum Madame Tussao are more than 1000 exhibits, in the accuracy of the famous people of different eras. The exhibition halls of the museum present all members of the British royal family, the presidents of the leading countries of the world, writers, scientists, commander, actors, singers, musicians, etc. Any celebrity honors for the honor of getting your double in the museum, because it indicates its popularity and Public recognition. Here, under the same roof, you can see the princess Diana, young Bitles, 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 of people. Some figures move and even talk. In one of the halls modestly stands a small old woman from wax, dressed in a black outfit. This is Maria Tussao. It seems to observe from the depths of the centuries for the huge wax empire created by it.

"Horror Chamber"

Not only stars are presented in the museum. There is an exhibition hall in the institution, designed for people with a strong psyche. It is called the "Horror Chamber". Here are collected wax figures of serial murderers, maniacs hanging on the gallows of criminals. The collection complements the chopped heads and torture guns. In the same room, you can see the representatives of the French royal family, made by Maria Tussao's own. The whole hall brings horror to visitors, so it is forbidden to enter children, pregnant women and people with weak health and unstable psyche.

Today it is difficult to meet a traveler who visited London and who did not see the wax figures of Madame Tussy Madame. Photo with twins of their idols - the subject of pride of any tourist. They are accepted to brag, as well as pictures against 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, exhibition halls of the establishments are open for guests until 18.00.