Marie Tussaud

Marie Tussaud, called Madame Tussaud (1760-1850), Swiss modeler in wax, born in Strasbourg, France. Her uncle brought her to Paris, where he taught her wax modeling. During the French Revolution she was imprisoned and forced to make death masks of many renowned guillotine victims. She inherited her uncle's waxworks museum and in 1802 went to England, where she established (1835) Madame Tussaud's Exhibition. Her life-size wax figures are noted for their remarkable realism and her museum is still a popular London tourist attraction.