X Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2018

Madam Tussaud’s is the most popular waxworks museum in the world. There are wax models of the famous and infamous, both living and dead. You can meet great characters of history and art. There are actors, film stars, pop-singers, criminals, politicians and members of the Royal family here. There is a place where you can see all the celebrities at once.

The museum is situated in Marylebone Road, not far from the street which is famous as the home of the first great detective in fiction, Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

There are several halls at Madam Tussaud’s: the Grand Hall, the Chamber of Horrors and The Spirit of London exhibition.

The wax figures are extremely realistic. When they look at you their eyes are sparkling and you feel uncomfortable. Computer-controlled figures (audioanimatronics) are especially popular with the visitors. Their speech and sound are recordered onto CDs and synchronized with the movements.

In the Grand Hall you will find all kinds of celebrities and there is a special place for the Royal family.

Most people agree to be portrayed, but some refuse. Mother Teresa was one of the few who declined, saying her work was important, not her person.

The story of Madam Tussaud

Madam Tussaud (nee Marie Grosholts) was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1761. Her father was killed two months before Marie’s birth. It happened during the Seven Years War. So Marie had to live with her uncle, Dr Philippe Curtius, a doctor and a wax modeller. 9-year-old girl helped Dr Curtius to open his wax exhibition in Paris. Marie was very interested in wax figures and very soon she learned to make them herself.

When Marie was 17, she was allowed to model the great figures of the time. Among them were Francois Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin.

The exhibition was so successful that Marie was invited to Versailles to help in the artistic education of King Louis XVI’s sister.

During the “Terror” Marie was imprisoned as a royalist but she managed to escape the guillotine by making death masks from the severed heads of its victims — often those of her friends…

After Dr Curtius’ death in 1794, Marie inherited his wax collection. In the following year she married a French engineer, Frangois Tussaud. She gave birth to three children: a daughter, who died, and two sons. Her marriage was not perfect.

In 1802, she took her collection of wax figures to England. She spent the next 33 years travelling all over the British Isles and saw neither France nor her husband again.

Madam Tussaud continued to make wax models until she was 81. She succeeded in business at a time when it was very unusual for a woman.

Great woman died in April 1850, at the age of 89. Her final work was a remarkable self-portrait.

The Chamber of horrors

The Chamber of Horrors is the eeriest place in the whole museum. Visitors are quieter there than in other places.

The dark cellar is full of “villains and their victims”, as well as the instruments of torture.

Here you can also see Madam Tussaud’s original exhibition of relics from the French Revolution — the death masks of French nobility and the guillotine blade that was used to behead Marie Antoinette.

The Spirit of London

It is an exhibition dedicated to the history of London. It covers a period of more than 400 years and spans London’s history from Elizabethan times to the present day.

You can visit an Elizabethan theatre, an old tavern where the great Shakespeare is working at Hamlet.

You go through the Plague and the Great Fire, you’ll see St Paul’s Cathedral being built.

There are 500 wax figures of outstanding people at the museum. There is «The Garden Party» on the third floor. The figures have fun and enjoy their friendly chat. «Superstars and Legends» department represents legendary celebrities: Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe. «200 Years» presents characters from the last 200 years. An interesting sample is Sleeping Beauty. She seems to be really sleeping, because you can notice her breathing. There is «The Grand Hall» on the second floor. It displays world leaders of different times: Henry VIII, Duke of Wellington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth II.

People can visit «The Planet and Space Zones» department, which is on the first floor. Visitors will admire a lot of star shows here. «The Spirit of London» shows the history of London. One of the famous figures here is William Shakespeare at his work. In the «Chamber of Horrors» you can find the Guillotine, Dracula and various scary scenes. There are several cafes in the building. Besides, visitors can buy some souvenirs in the shop.

Madam Tussaud’s is the most popular and talked about wax museum in the world. There is no other place where you can see all the celebrities at once, even if they are only wax figures. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monro, Michael Jackson, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, the British Royal family, Bill Clinton, Jack the Ripper…

So if you want to rub shoulders with kings and queens or the latest pop stars, or probably with notorious criminals, this is the place to go. The museum is situated in Marylebone Road, not far from the street which is famous as the home of the first great detective in fiction, Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

There’s usually a long queue in front of the museum. No wonder! Many tourists would consider their trip to London worthless if they didn’t visit the famous Madam Tussaud’s.

New models are being produced all the time while the old ones are quietly removed from display. Over the years hundreds of celebrities have made their way to Madame Tussaud’s studio. Most people agree to be portrayed, but some refuse. Mother Teresa was one of the few who declined, saying her work was important, not her person.

References:

https://tiptopenglish.ru/madam-tussauds-muzej-madam-tyusso/

https://tonkosti.ru/

http://tooday.ru/?l=eng&r=16&t=madam_tussaud%E2%80%99s_museum-muzey_madam_tyusso-2a

http://teachershelp.ru/madam-tussaud/

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/

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