Madame Marie Tussaud
Madame Marie Tussaud, (1760-1850). Swiss wax-modeller, born Marie Grosholtz. She learnt the art of wax-modelling from her uncle and during the French Revolution made death masks from the heads of victims of the guillotine. She subsequently married a soldier and escaped to Britain, where she set up a permanent collection of waxworks in Baker Street, London. Madame Tussaud’s original wax gallery was a collection of heroes and villains. The present collection, now housed in Marylebone Road, includes many living public figures, film stars, and pop musicians, and is continually being updated. Nevertheless, it still includes some of her original waxworks.
