The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUS-
SAUD's. BY John Theodore Tussaud
George II. Doran Company
Reviewed by ESTHER KOHEN

George II. Doran Company.
Reviewed by ESTHER KOHEN
It viii perhaps take another couple
of generations before an intimate BIZ
ographer will lose propriety sufficient
ly to celebrate a valiant woman as
such. and at par; to waive the usual
eulogies, and call ones grandmother a
captain OF fortune, high buccaneer-
ing dame. a superb adventures, and
TO say it with relish. Yet from out
the decorously written chapters on the
Romance of Madame Tussauds"
there does emerge just such a figure
John Theodore Tussaud is too modest,
or else too stolid, In not dramatizing
his grandmother more.
Madame Tussaud's? OF course. The
museum of famous wax puppets. But
Madame Tussaud more than Madame
Tussauds. The book shows Madame
making casts of the guillotined heads
of the French Revolution-Robes-
pierre, the Princess Lamballe. Ma
dame in prison with Madame de Beau
harnais, who later became the En-
press Josephine. Madame compelled
to reproduce the lineaments of Louis
XVI, Marie Antoinette, Hebert, Carrier,
Danton, by the Committee OF Public
Safety. Madame fleeing to London
and conveying her celebrated figures
over the British Isles. Madame cpl
sodically married. the mother of two
sons, and then free of her husband,
herself again. Always herself, and
adventurous luck with her always.
She and her collection were ship
wrecked In the Irish Channel. the ex-
hibit was marked for destruction at
the time of the British riots, but al
ways every shift was an advance in
fortune
After the Revolution she sent her
son to France for the lunette and also
the chopper and knife of the guillotine.
She eventually did purchase these
from Samson, the executioner, and
made them the nucleus Of the dark
room of the museum. now known as
the chamber of horrors. She welded
her institution into solid abode In
London by Selling upon the popular
imagination.
Madame de Malibran. a singer and
a great popular fayorite, died sudden
" during a festival held at Manches-
ter, and. with all speed Madame Tus-
saud placed her figure on exhibition.
whittier fiocked the great crowds,
much more curious than mourning.
1.-THE idea there and then took hold
of Madame Tussaud's mind" writes
the present Tussaud, that the exhi-
ia1
cess by being constantly brought up
to date through the adding of the por-
traits of people whose names were on
everybody's lips. That principle has
been faithfully observed ever since
At the age of seventy or thereabouts,
she originated the idea Of promenade
concerts in England. She had the
amazing business genius and effront-
cry of p. T. Barnum-though the book
is written too solemnly to bring these
characteristics out with the effect they
ought to produce.
To-day all the arch criminals, all
the famous and infamous of the last
100 years are to be seen at Madame
Tussaud's. The whole respondent
land ephemeraD category Of soldiers.
statesmen and generals of the last
war are there, and maybe there is
murder plotted already, for does a
puppet appear to lose his popularity.
he is promptly melted down.
1 remember being at Madame Tus-
saud's, paying my bob" plus war tax,
at the turnstile, and seeing life's i'm
mortals in wax. I also remember leav-
ing with the feeling that life has been
too prodigal, given us too many celeb
rites. The statuary is greatly alive
they are wonderful mementos--the
pose. the flesh. the agility of life ap-
pears actually to be in them. had
forgotten TO purchase a catalogue. but
after being in the galleries for half an
hour, I desired none. Excitement. in
terest, passed into n saddening weari-
ness. reflected that the past should
be killed off for good. The spiritual
heaviness of having all the succession
Of kings since the French Revolution,
all the princesses. all the statesmen
so officiously present. made me COM
bative.
Now after reading THE Romance
of Madame Tussaud's." the feeling
that the exhibition should have been
more discriminating is even stronger.