When I saw Pete Berthoud's recent blog post reproducing a review of Madame Tussaud's from the 1880s this prompted me to look out a Souvenir Brochure from the very same place that I had acquired from a charity shop a few years ago.
The brochure isn't dated but it was produced sometime between 1928 to 1935. The first Madame Tussaud's was in Baker Street until 1884 when it moved to Marylebone Road. In 1925 it unfortunately burned down but was reopened 3 years later in 1928. The brochure's Foreword comments on the fire in the third paragraph from the bottom.
The second date is gained from the First Plate in the brochure which is of "Their Majesties King George The Fifth and Queen Mary". The text talks about them in the present tense. George V died on 20 January 1936.
The next plate refers to "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales" who later became Edward VIII and we all know what happened to him.
There are another 13 plates in this brochure; far too many to put on one blog post so I will be dipping into them occasionally maybe on the relevant anniversary.
On this occasion the last set shows "Madame Tussaud the Foundress of the Exhibition" standing next to The Sleeping Beauty.
The author of this blog (Joanna Moncrieff) is a qualified and insured City of Westminster Tour Guide who specialises in food and drink themed walks in the West End.
Details of all her walks are listed here and upcoming public walks are here.
Labels: 1930s, Madame Tussaud's, souvenir brochures, Westminster
