Madame Tussaud and the History of Waxworks

Rating:
Summary: The History of a Popular Entertainment
Review: With all the historic sites, shrines, monuments, cathedrals, and museums in London, one must-see has been a tourist magnet for almost two centuries, and has been merely a commercial operation. Pamela Pilbeam says, "There is nothing so fascinating for a human being as others of the species," and if we can't rub elbows with the stars (and scoundrels) of our species themselves, then waxwork simulations will do. Pilbeam has written an enjoyable history, _Madame Tussaud and the History of Waxworks_ (Hambledon & London), which gives insight to a subject that, quite obviously, people find fascinating.

The future Madame Tussaud was the niece, possibly daughter, of the man who made waxworks a popular exhibit in Paris. Once the Revolution came, both the theater and waxworks were a sort of newspaper, but waxworks, unlike newspapers and theater, were not censored. The exhibit showed who was in, who was out, and who was guillotined. There was a great appetite to put the guillotined heads on display, and, according to her sometimes unreliable memoirs, Madame Tussaud at her studio would receive the heads hot off the chopper. She would make wax copies, so that there would be enough heads to go around, some going for display in England. Her eventual marriage to Monsieur Tussaud became unsatisfactory, and to pursue a career in exhibitions, she left him for England in 1802, never to return. Remarkably, she was 41 at the time, when women did not launch themselves into mid-life careers; she was to continue running her show until her death at 89. She originally had a traveling exhibit, offering music, good lighting, and space in which visitors could walk around and see themselves, as well as the waxworks. Her marketing was well-targeted; her show became a central place for people to socialize. Eventually she settled in London. There were plenty of others waxworks, but Madame Tussaud continued to be the one to see. She installed over five hundred figures in the new space, more than any competition could muster. She kept the exhibits timely and watched what people watched; a mannequin which didn't make people pause and look was doomed to be melted down. Most importantly, when museums had limited entry, she bought up relics, royal robes, and paintings that would make her waxworks respectable to the respectable middle class. But "respectable" has its limits; the most popular attraction has always been the Chamber of Horrors.

At last counting, Madame Tussaud's had more visitors than any pay-for-view attraction in England. Pilbeam examines the appeal, but it is hard to say exactly why a three dimensional image of, say, Madonna, would be a draw, when there are plenty of lively photos and movies that provide perfectly good depictions. There are some artistic claims among those who appreciate the exhibits; there is no reason, of course, why a wax sculpture should be less "art" than a bronze. Somehow, waxworks might be entertaining, might be instructive, but fundamentally are just fun. The same can be said of Pilbeam's book.

Rating:
Summary: The History of a Popular Entertainment
Review: With all the historic sites, shrines, monuments, cathedrals, and museums in London, one must-see has been a tourist magnet for almost two centuries, and has been merely a commercial operation. Pamela Pilbeam says, "There is nothing so fascinating for a human being as others of the species," and if we can't rub elbows with the stars (and scoundrels) of our species themselves, then waxwork simulations will do. Pilbeam has written an enjoyable history, _Madame Tussaud and the History of Waxworks_ (Hambledon & London), which gives insight to a subject that, quite obviously, people find fascinating.

The future Madame Tussaud was the niece, possibly daughter, of the man who made waxworks a popular exhibit in Paris. Once the Revolution came, both the theater and waxworks were a sort of newspaper, but waxworks, unlike newspapers and theater, were not censored. The exhibit showed who was in, who was out, and who was guillotined. There was a great appetite to put the guillotined heads on display, and, according to her sometimes unreliable memoirs, Madame Tussaud at her studio would receive the heads hot off the chopper. She would make wax copies, so that there would be enough heads to go around, some going for display in England. Her eventual marriage to Monsieur Tussaud became unsatisfactory, and to pursue a career in exhibitions, she left him for England in 1802, never to return. Remarkably, she was 41 at the time, when women did not launch themselves into mid-life careers; she was to continue running her show until her death at 89. She originally had a traveling exhibit, offering music, good lighting, and space in which visitors could walk around and see themselves, as well as the waxworks. Her marketing was well-targeted; her show became a central place for people to socialize. Eventually she settled in London. There were plenty of others waxworks, but Madame Tussaud continued to be the one to see. She installed over five hundred figures in the new space, more than any competition could muster. She kept the exhibits timely and watched what people watched; a mannequin which didn't make people pause and look was doomed to be melted down. Most importantly, when museums had limited entry, she bought up relics, royal robes, and paintings that would make her waxworks respectable to the respectable middle class. But "respectable" has its limits; the most popular attraction has always been the Chamber of Horrors.

At last counting, Madame Tussaud's had more visitors than any pay-for-view attraction in England. Pilbeam examines the appeal, but it is hard to say exactly why a three dimensional image of, say, Madonna, would be a draw, when there are plenty of lively photos and movies that provide perfectly good depictions. There are some artistic claims among those who appreciate the exhibits; there is no reason, of course, why a wax sculpture should be less "art" than a bronze. Somehow, waxworks might be entertaining, might be instructive, but fundamentally are just fun. The same can be said of Pilbeam's book.