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The Tussauds Group
The Tussauds Group was a visitor attractions company based in London, United Kingdom. Its portfolio of attractions included the Madame Tussauds waxworks, Heide Park Resort in Germany, The London Eye, Warwick Castle, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.
The company was purchased by The Blackstone Group and merged with Merlin Entertainments in 2007.
The physician, Philippe Curtius began to create organs and biological structures from wax. After creating organs, Curtius went on to recreate notable people in society out of the medium too. Curtius put these models on display to the public in Berne, Switzerland where they caught the attention of the French royal family. In 1765, the royal family invited Curtius to display his exhibits in Paris. When moving to Paris, Curtius bought with him a housekeeper and her daughter, Marie Grosholtz, who Curtius then took on as an apprentice of his work.
Under Curtius’ teaching, Marie became renowned for her modelling, completing portraits of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire. This led to Marie being invited to the royal court at Versailles where she was employed as a teacher. In 1795, Marie married François Tussaud with whom she had two sons. After the French Revolution in 1789, Marie continued her modelling and made death masks of her deceased ex-employers. Upon the death of Curtius in 1794, Marie inherited his estate, including his properties and his workshop.
Overseas interest in the French Revolution led Marie Tussaud to travel to England and display her work there. Tussaud travelled the British Isles with her work as she was prevented from returning to France due to the war between Britain and France. After travelling with her models, Tussauds bought her first property in London's Baker Street in 1835, for the purpose of displaying her wax figures. The large property allowed her to display the exhibits that she used on tour as well as create new models and exhibitions. Marie Tussaud died in 1850 and the business was left to her two sons. Her grandchildren then moved the business to a permanent residence in Marylebone Road.
In 1926, Madame Tussauds became a limited company. In the 1960s, Tussauds was looking to expand beyond the United Kingdom and opened their first international exhibition in Amsterdam. This exhibition featured different wax figures to those on show in London. The Dutch exhibition moved to the more central location of Dam Square in 1991. The company made its first acquisition with Wookey Hole Caves and Mill in Somerset and in 1976 bought Tolgus tin plant in Cornwall, and also Warwick Castle in Warwickshire.[citation needed]
In the early 1980s, Madame Tussauds approached S. Pearson and Son, now Pearson PLC, to acquire Chessington Zoo for potential development. This led to Pearson purchasing the company and transferring Chessington Zoo's ownership to Tussauds. The group redeveloped it as Chessington World of Adventures, opened in 1987, more than doubling the visitor attendance.
In 1989, the Tussauds Group sold Wookey Hole caves. In the same year, they opened the Rock Circus in the London Pavilion which focused on a rock and roll theme.
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The Tussauds Group
The Tussauds Group was a visitor attractions company based in London, United Kingdom. Its portfolio of attractions included the Madame Tussauds waxworks, Heide Park Resort in Germany, The London Eye, Warwick Castle, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.
The company was purchased by The Blackstone Group and merged with Merlin Entertainments in 2007.
The physician, Philippe Curtius began to create organs and biological structures from wax. After creating organs, Curtius went on to recreate notable people in society out of the medium too. Curtius put these models on display to the public in Berne, Switzerland where they caught the attention of the French royal family. In 1765, the royal family invited Curtius to display his exhibits in Paris. When moving to Paris, Curtius bought with him a housekeeper and her daughter, Marie Grosholtz, who Curtius then took on as an apprentice of his work.
Under Curtius’ teaching, Marie became renowned for her modelling, completing portraits of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire. This led to Marie being invited to the royal court at Versailles where she was employed as a teacher. In 1795, Marie married François Tussaud with whom she had two sons. After the French Revolution in 1789, Marie continued her modelling and made death masks of her deceased ex-employers. Upon the death of Curtius in 1794, Marie inherited his estate, including his properties and his workshop.
Overseas interest in the French Revolution led Marie Tussaud to travel to England and display her work there. Tussaud travelled the British Isles with her work as she was prevented from returning to France due to the war between Britain and France. After travelling with her models, Tussauds bought her first property in London's Baker Street in 1835, for the purpose of displaying her wax figures. The large property allowed her to display the exhibits that she used on tour as well as create new models and exhibitions. Marie Tussaud died in 1850 and the business was left to her two sons. Her grandchildren then moved the business to a permanent residence in Marylebone Road.
In 1926, Madame Tussauds became a limited company. In the 1960s, Tussauds was looking to expand beyond the United Kingdom and opened their first international exhibition in Amsterdam. This exhibition featured different wax figures to those on show in London. The Dutch exhibition moved to the more central location of Dam Square in 1991. The company made its first acquisition with Wookey Hole Caves and Mill in Somerset and in 1976 bought Tolgus tin plant in Cornwall, and also Warwick Castle in Warwickshire.[citation needed]
In the early 1980s, Madame Tussauds approached S. Pearson and Son, now Pearson PLC, to acquire Chessington Zoo for potential development. This led to Pearson purchasing the company and transferring Chessington Zoo's ownership to Tussauds. The group redeveloped it as Chessington World of Adventures, opened in 1987, more than doubling the visitor attendance.
In 1989, the Tussauds Group sold Wookey Hole caves. In the same year, they opened the Rock Circus in the London Pavilion which focused on a rock and roll theme.