There have been waxworks in Blackpool since the 1870s - whether Monsieur D'Arc and Elias Fletcher's in a wooden building just south of Central Pier, or in the 1890s Mr Lee's Grand Museum and Royal Waxwork in a shop in Church Street. In 1900 the great grandson of the famous Madame, Louis Tussaud, arrived in Blackpool after leaving London following a fire. His first display - from July that year - was in the basement of the Hippodrome Theatre on Church Street, before moving to the Brunswick Café, South Beach in 1901.

Tussaud was subsequently bought out by former mayor and land-owner Albert Lindsay Parkinson, who also acquired Walker's Waxworks opposite Central Pier in 1907. Cannily, Parkinson was able to keep the Tussaud name. Even after the present premises were opened on the Golden Mile in May 1929 there was another connection with the original Tussauds, as Bernard Tussaud briefly became the company's sculptor.

The Waxworks were expanded in 1974 and the company also owned Liverpool's School of Anatomy's exhibition (adults only) where, during the 1950s, several of Sir Jacob Epstein's controversial sculptures and drawings were exhibited in the basement.

Nowadays on the Golden Mile you can see modern heroes in the Rock Factory (from Frank Sinatra to Robbie Williams), a tribute to Coronation Street (Ena Sharples included), an audience with the current royal family, Steve McMahon's dream eleven (including Pele, Eric Cantona and Bobby Moore) in the sports hall, stars of stage and screen and the ever-popular chiller thriller, the Chamber of Horrors.

Louis Tussauds Waxworks

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There are known to have been Waxworks in Blackpool since the 1870s, principally at the time those of Monsieur D'Arc & Elias Fletcher, housed in wooden buildings a little to the south of Central Pier. By 1890, there was Mr. Lee's "Grand Museum and Royal Waxwork" in shop premises on Church Street (opposite The Grand).

Louis Tussaud, a great grandson of Madame Tussaud, came to Blackpool in 1900 from London, where he had previously held waxworks exhibitions. Following a fire and trouble obtaining further premises there, he had decided to tour the provinces. He first set up a waxworks in Blackpool in the basement of the Hippodrome theatre, Church Street (later the ABC and now the Syndicate Nightspot), opening it in July 1900. The following year, he moved the exhibition to the Brunswick Café, South Beach, now the area of the Golden Mile just north of the Oasis amusement centre.

Later, Tussaud was bought-out by Albert Lindsay Parkinson. Parkinson was one of Blackpool's most significant figures, he was mayor throughout the Great War and owned and built much property, his building firm operating nationally. By 1907, Parkinson had also acquired Walker's Waxworks, adjoining the Wellington Hotel opposite Central Pier and he had put in his brother Tom as manager. They were able to transfer the famous Tussaud name to these premises under the company name Louis Tussaud (Blackpool) Ltd and the Waxworks continued on Wellington Terrace until 1928. From the outset there had been a Chamber of Horrors.

In 1929, Lindsay Parkinson built Tussaud's present premises on the Golden Mile. Opened in May that year, they originally had an Egyptian-style glazed façade by Shaw's of Darwen (removed in 1974, when the building was extended over the forecourt ). The link with the Tussaud family was briefly re-established at this time, when Bernard Tussaud became the company's sculptor for several months, during which time he created many new figures.

After A. L. Parkinson's death in 1936, Tussaud's remained under the ownership of A. L. Parkinson Holdings Ltd until quite recently. Besides displaying representations of famous people past and present, Tussaud's also had the Liverpool School of Anatomy's exhibition, which was for adults only. During the 1950s, several of Sir Jacob Epstein's controversial sculptures were exhibited in the basement, along with some of his drawings.

THE MAKING OF A WAXWORK

Before a waxwork figure can be created some careful preparations need to be undertaken. Photographs & information relating to the subject to be modelled must be collected & carefully studied. The sculptor begins modelling the head in clay and three or four weeks of perseverance may be required until the sculptor is happy with his work.

Wherever possible, a subject will visit the waxworks for a sitting when photographs & measurements can be taken to ensure accuracy. With the clay portrait complete, a plaster mould is made around it. This is later removed from the head & reassembled like a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle, forming a hollow plaster shell.

The mould is then filled with molten wax and when the wax has cooled, the mould is removed to reveal a hollow wax head. Glass eyes & acrylic teeth of exact colour & size are fitted & correctly aligned.

The unenviable task of hair insertion may take weeks, as each hair has to be inserted strand by strand! The hairdresser can then dress the hair appropriately be it contemporary or period. Using a mix of oil paint & cosmetics, the make up artist colours the head referring to photographs to achieve a life like appearance. Certain figures require costumes, which exactly match those used in a film or period of history. These costumes need to be specially designed & made to fit the figure. At this stage the wax head can be fitted to the glass fibre body and dressed. Hands are moulded from life using a flexible compound called alginate.
Alginate is normally used by dentists to make moulds of their patients' teeth, although in recent years has been used extensively for special effects in the film industry, to make moulds of virtually anything.

Finally, the completed figure is displayed in an appropriate setting within the exhibition. The time taken from the initial research to completed figure can be up to two months.