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International Journal of Cultural Studies
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The famous and the infamous

Waxworks as retailers of renown

Uta Kornmeier

Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung (Centre for Literary and Cultural Research) Berlin, Germany, kornmeier{at}zfl.gwz-berlin.de

A B S T R A C T • The relationship between Madame Tussaud's waxworks and the phenomenon of renown is close but remains hitherto unexamined. Studying the historic changes in this and previous waxwork exhibitions, however, reveals shifts in the underlying concepts of renown since the late 1600s. The most prominent shifts are from the baroque 'hero' to the grand homme of the Enlightenment, and from the 'great man' to the 'celebrity' in the nineteenth century. Madame Tussaud can be attributed with popularizing the Enlightenment idea of the 'great man' in Britain and with including in her exhibition the first media celebrities, whose renown she reinforced. •

Key Words: concepts of fame and celebrity • Doolhof • grands hommes • heroes • history of renown • Mrs Salmon • Marie Tussaud • waxworks • Madame Tussauds

International Journal of Cultural Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3, 276-288 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1367877908092585
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