Marie Tussaud
December 7th will be a significant date for different reasons. Some of you might have your birthday on this day, or know something else special about it. But way back in 1761, Marie Tussaud was born in Bern, Switzerland. About 40 years later, she established her wax museum in London, later followed by the grim and sinister Chamber of Horrors.
Marie’s Mentor
Marie Tussaud was taught the art of wax works by Philippe Curtius, a local doctor who Marie and her mother lived with (her mother was his housekeeper). At the age of 16, in 1777, Marie made her first wax figure (of Voltaire, the French philosopher) and she showed great promise with what she produced. Apparently, she was so skilled that members of the French royal family invited her to go and live at Versailles, the famous palace just outside of Paris, but no firm evidence exists to prove this. In the 1800s, after spending many years travelling around the UK, Marie settled in London, on Baker Street, and the museum of Madame Tussaud was born. If you are fortunate enough to visit today, you will see a self-portrait of Marie inside the museum’s entrance. Amazingly, some of her original wax figures still exist. If you visit any of the Tussaud museums, you might be lucky enough to spot one.
The Global Legacy Of Marie Tussaud
Today there are Madame Tussaud’s wax museums all over the world, from Beijing to Budapest to Dubai. It is amazing to think that all of these museums come from one woman growing up in Europe in the mid to late 1700s. And for those of you who are into gaming, you might be surprised to know that Madame Tussaud features as a minor character in Assassin’s Creed Unity, a game (now more or less de-bugged) which takes place during the French Revolution. It just goes to show how something so modern can still draw on fascinating historical facts.
So, if you are stuck for something to do the next time you are in London, why not visit Madame Tussaud’s – and see which celebrities you can spot!
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