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Madame Tussaud and the Business of Wax: Marketing to the Middle Classes

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  • Pamela Pilbeam

Abstract

This essay explores the unique development of the Tussaud Wax Exhibition in the first half of the nineteenth century. Madame Tussaud was trained in the art and display of wax figures by Philippe Curtius in Paris. In 1802 she embarked on a wax tour of Britain, and never left. At a personal level her odyssey was amazing. When she arrived, in her 40s, she knew no one and was alone, apart from her tiny child. She had an interesting collection of wax figures, but little money and spoke no English. She ran a travelling wax show until 1835, when she settled in London. In her own lifetime her Baker Street Exhibition became the leading tourist attraction in the capital. This article explains how she was able to capture and hold a share of the bourgeois entertainment market and make her wax exhibition a 'national institution'.

Suggested Citation

  • Pamela Pilbeam, 2003. "Madame Tussaud and the Business of Wax: Marketing to the Middle Classes," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 6-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:bushst:v:45:y:2003:i:1:p:6-22
    DOI: 10.1080/713999298
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