Chamber of Horrors: Documentary about Madame Tussaud’s waxworks Museum

Title

Chamber of Horrors: Documentary about Madame Tussaud’s waxworks Museum

Transmission details

23 Apr 1984

Description

CHAMBER OF HORRORS [Series Radio Victory Archive] A special programme about Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks, produced by Radio Victory for transmission on 23 April 1984. TRACK 1- MATT HOPPER interviews LADY PAULINE CHAPMAN author of book about Madame Tussaud’s. In - Music: Sound of sentence of execution. There is a basement ... Madame Tussaud’s celebrates 200th anniversary. Lady Pauline Chapman describes origins of waxworks in Paris. Mme Tussaud was trained by uncle Curteus who taught her modelling [her mother was housekeeper]. He set up new department in his Cabinet des Cires on Boulevard du Temple. Made effigies of condemned criminals from masks taken either before or after execution. Mme Tussaud became his assistant. When he died in 1794 he left her everything in his will except small legacy to poor. Philip Stahl, ran a magic lantern show called Fantasmagoria. In 1801 had successful season at Lyceum Theatre, London, invited Mme Tussaud to join him with her wax models for season 1802-3. Out: ... winter of 1802. Music. Mme Tussaud had a very strong business sense. Ideas in presentation and lighting far ahead of time. First model in London of Col Despard executed for treason. Death masks of French royal family and revolutionaries still exist in original castings. Mme Tussaud only interested in people holding public attention so she worked very quickly to produce models, those people who would remain known to public because models expensive to produce. TRACK 2- Story of Dr Crippen’s murder of his wife. Music. The Kray twins ... TRACK 3- In - I remember coming ... Lady Chapman feels the Chamber of Horrors has air of expectancy, wouldn’t want to be there alone with the wax figures. Discussion of killers Haig, Christie and Heath, considers them nasty men, turned to killing for gain. Large fire in 1925 destroyed practically everything to ground level, but Chamber of Horrors was in basement so survived. Bomb in WWII destroyed much of mould store. Different places in which model of Adolf Hitler has been displayed. Music. In - We are in the Chamber ... Haig asked for the clothes he wore during trial to be given to Mme Tussaud’s to clothe his model. Punch gave the name Chamber of Horrors, admission charges would go to the relief of poverty. Out ... the relief of the proverty. Music In - Sentence of execution by electric chair. Now things have changed ... Bruno Hauptmann executed in 1936 by electric chair for killing baby. Exhibition contains no imaginary figures or artificial horrors. Rule laid down by Mme Tussaud’s uncle. Lady Chapman gives reasons for continuing popularity of exhibition, desire for macabre, ability to see three dimensional full size figure. [Box 6]

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Duration

00:47:39

Misc. notes

Gauge:-1/8 inch tape

Production company

Radio Victory

Extent

1 tape

Credits

Presenter

Matt Hopper

Interviewees

Lady Pauline Chapman