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For over 200 years, Madame Tussaud's exhibition of wax figures has been one of Britain's most popular attractions. The exhibition has constantly developed and now visitors can see the world's public figures, including men and women who have made a lasting impact on our lives, Kings and Queens, great statesmen, religious leaders, superstars past and present who have become legends.

But the story of Madame Tussaud is as impressive as her exhibition. Two things about her are especially interesting. First, she spent her early years in the turmoil of the French Revolution and came to meet many of its characters, and perhaps more unusually, she succeeded in business at a time when women were seldom involved in the world of commerce.

Madame Tussaud whose first name is Marie was born in France in 1761. Her father, a soldier, was killed in battle two months before her birth. She lived with the mother who worked as a housekeeper for the doctor who had a wonderful skill of modelling anatomical subjects in wax. Soon Marie and her mother with the doctor Curtius moved to Paris.

France was approaching the Revolution. Dr. Curtius’s house became a meeting place of philosophers, writers and revolutionaries. Marie soon discovered she had a talent for observation and remembering the details of faces.

Dr. Curtius acted as a teacher to Marie, schooling her in the techniques of wax portraits. Thanks to him she used a scientific approach in wax portraiture. She was soon allowed to model the great figures of the time. Among them were Francois Voltaire and the American statesman Benjamin Franklin. Dr. Curtius’s exhibition was patronized by the French Royal family and Marie was invited to the Royal Court.

At the time of the revolution Marie and her mother were imprisoned for some time. Later Marie was asked to prepare the death masks of French aristocrats who had been executed – among them the King and the Queen.

The time of terror came to an end. In 1794 the doctor died and Marie inherited the business which had grown under her influence.

In the following years she married a French engineer, Francois Tussaud and by 1800 had given birth to three children: a daughter who died and two sons. It was difficult for the exhibition to survive in France and in 1802 Marie Tussaud made a monumental decision. She would leave her husband and baby son in Paris while she and her elder son would tour the exhibition round the British Isles.

Marie was to see neither France nor her husband again. She spent the next 33 years travelling in Great Britain. Later her other son joined her. Both of her sons were interested in the business. The travels ended in 1835 when Madame Tussaud’s exhibition found a permanent home in London. Since that there have been fires and disasters but many new figures have been added to the collection. This unusual woman died in 1884 at the age of 89.

You can see her remarkable self-portrait in Museum as well.