Studio Secrets

Madam Tussaud's

Madam Tussaud's is the most popular and talked about wax museum in the world/ There are wax models of the famous and infamous, both living and dead, from every walk of life.

Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monro, Marlon Brando, Elisabeth Taylor, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, the British Royal family, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Jack the Ripper…. There is no other place where you can see all the celebrities at once, even if they are only wax figures.

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 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. Last year, for example, the museum had 2,790,000 visitors!

There are several halls at Madam Tussaud's. Highlights include the Grand Hall, the Chamber of Horrors and 'The Spirit of London' exhibition. The wax figures are standing and sitting, and sometimes even moving and talking. They are extremely realistic and when they look at you, their eyes sparkling, you often feel uncomfortable in their company. Computer-controlled figures (they are called audioanimatronics) are especially popular with the visitors.

The Grand Hall

In the Grand Hall you will find all kinds of celebri­ties, from Bill Clinton to Michael Jackson and Pavarotti to Mandela. You will meet people, both men and women, who have made a lasting impact on our lives, and whose memories still live on.

The earliest figure from history on display is William the Conqueror.

The politicians stand in solemn silence watching each other. A very strange company indeed: Winston Churchill, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin. Margaret Thatcher, Oliver Crom­well. Michael Gorbachev... There is л special place for the Royal family here too.

New models are being produced all the time while the old ones art' 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.

Studio Secrets

Modelling methods at Madame Tussaud's almost haven't changed in 200 years. "It's the same process basically, and the same kind of wax is used," says Craig, head of the portrait studio of the museum. These days, however, the bodies are made of fiberglass while originally they were made of leather stuffed with straw.

Ever)' year about 10 new figures are made at Madam Tussaud's. As soon as a person is chosen, the first step is to collect information It means photographs and arti­cles if the person is alive, or portraits and biographies if the person is dead.

Then it must be decided in which part of the exhibi­tion the figure should be be placed, what the post-should be and its relationship to other wax portraits.

Sittings usually take place at Madam Tussaud's stu­dios. But if celebrities can't visit Madam Tussaud's London studios, then the sculptors go to them. Queen Elizabeth II for exam­ple, receives sculptor s at Buckingham Palace.

The measuring has to be very accurate. "We usually take about 150 measure­ments," says Craig. It takes about six months to complete a figure. Most of the time is spent on the head. The sculptor begins by modelling the head in clay. At this stage the hair is also sculpted. When the sculptor is satisfied with the clay model, the wax one is being made.

The next important stage is to fix the eyes. These are individually made and painted to match the exact colour of the celebrity's eyes. The eyes are then fixed from inside the head.

Human hair, matched for colour and texture, is inserted in the scalp with the help of a tiny fork. The next process is colouring which is done by skilled artists. Once or twice a year die colour is washed off the head with soap and water and the head is recoloured.

Madam Tussaud's costume designers work as much as the sculptors do.

Indeed, the historical figures in the exhibition give an excellent opportunity to study the dress of previous generations. Nowadays celebrities often give their own costumes to the exhibition.

Audioanimatronic figures are carefully planned and programmed by a team of engineers. Speech and sound are recordered onto CDs and synchronized with the movements.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31