Madame Tussauds - Washington D.C.

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The Life of Marie Tussaud

In 1761, Madame Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg, France. By age six, Marie moved to Paris with her mother, who worked as a housekeep for Dr. Philippe Curtius, a doctor and wax modeler, and became his prodigy.

In 1778, Marie had enough experience to create a wax portrait of the French writer, Voltaire. Two years later, she was appointed art tutor to Madame Elisabeth, the sister of Louis XVI, and lived at the magnificent Palace of Versailles for the next nine years.

Once the French Revolution erupted, Marie was commanded by the regime to make death masks of many prominent figures such as King Louis XVI and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette.

Madame Tussaud moved to England in 1802 and started a traveling waxwork museum. During the next 33 years, Madame Tussaud toured every major city in Britain with her collection. By 1835, tired of traveling, she established a site in London, not far from the present exhibition on Baker Street. Her last work was a self-portrait, created eight years before she died. She left her collection to her two sons, who, with her grandchildren, continued the business.