Chapter II: Preface: BY WILLIAM E. HURT vii

INTRODUCTION BY HILAIRE BELLOC 25

CHAPTER I

MR. TUSSAUD FIRST ENTERS HIS FATHER’S STUDIO--_REVERIE_--MADAME
TUSSAUD’S UNCLE FORSAKES THE MEDICAL PROFESSION FOR
ART--MADAME’S BIRTH AND PARENTAGE--A PRINCE’S PROMISE 53

CHAPTER II

CURTIUS LEAVES BERNE FOR PARIS--THE HÔTEL D’ALIGRE--THE COURT
OF LOUIS XV--MADAME ARRIVES IN PARIS 59

CHAPTER III

LIFE-SIZE FIGURES--MUSEUM AT THE PALAIS ROYAL--EXHIBITION ON
THE _BOULEVARD DU TEMPLE_--BENJAMIN FRANKLIN--VOLTAIRE 65

CHAPTER IV

MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE--MADAME TUSSAUD GOES TO
VERSAILLES--FOULON--THREE NOTABLE GROUPS--GALLERY OF NOTORIOUS
CRIMINALS 70

CHAPTER V

EVE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION--NECKER AND THE DUKE OF
ORLÉANS--LOUIS XVI’S FATAL MISTAKES--HIS DISMISSAL OF THE
PEOPLE’S FAVOURITES 77

CHAPTER VI

MADAME TUSSAUD RECALLED FROM VERSAILLES--THE TWELFTH OF
JULY, 1789--BUSTS TAKEN FROM CURTIUS’S EXHIBITION--A _GARDE
FRANÇAISE_ SLAIN IN THE MÊLÉE 81

CHAPTER VII

HEADS OF THE REVOLUTION--MADAME’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES--THE
GUILLOTINE IN PAWN--MADAME ACQUIRES THE KNIFE, LUNETTE AND
CHOPPER 87

CHAPTER VIII

MADAME DINES WITH THE TERRORISTS MARAT AND ROBESPIERRE, MODELS
THEIR FIGURES AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKES CASTS OF THEIR HEADS--SHE
VISITS CHARLOTTE CORDAY IN PRISON--DEATH OF CURTIUS--MADAME
MARRIES--NAPOLEON SITS FOR HIS MODEL 92

CHAPTER IX

MADAME TUSSAUD LEAVES FRANCE FOR ENGLAND, NEVER TO
RETURN--EARLY DAYS IN LONDON--ON TOUR--SOME NOTABLE
FIGURES--SHIPWRECK IN THE IRISH CHANNEL 98

CHAPTER X

THE BRISTOL RIOTS--NARROW ESCAPE OF THE EXHIBITION--A BRAVE
BLACK SERVANT--ARRIVAL AT BLACKHEATH 103

CHAPTER XI

AN OLD PLACARD--PRINCESS AUGUSTA’S TESTIMONIAL--GREAT SUCCESS
AT GRAY’S INN ROAD--MADAME INITIATES PROMENADE CONCERTS--BYGONE
TABLEAUX 108

CHAPTER XII

PLACARD (_Continued_)--THE OLD EXHIBITION--CELEBRITIES OF
THE DAY--TUSSAUD’S MUMMY--POETIC EULOGISM--REMOVAL TO BAKER
STREET--THE IRON DUKE’S REJOINDER--MADAME DE MALIBRAN 113

CHAPTER XIII

HOW THE WATERLOO CARRIAGE WAS ACQUIRED--A CHANCE CONVERSATION
ON LONDON BRIDGE--THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF AN EMPEROR’S
EQUIPAGE--AFFIDAVIT OF NAPOLEON’S COACHMAN 120

CHAPTER XIV

NAPOLEON’S WATERLOO CARRIAGE--DESCRIPTION OF ITS EXTERIOR 127

CHAPTER XV

DESCRIPTION OF THE WATERLOO CARRIAGE (_Continued_)--ITS
INTERIOR AND PECULIAR CONTRIVANCES--BROUGHT TO ENGLAND AND
EXHIBITED AT THE LONDON MUSEUM 133

CHAPTER XVI

THE ST. HELENA CARRIAGE--NAPOLEON ALARMS THE LADIES--CERTIFICATES
OF AUTHENTICITY 139

CHAPTER XVII

FATHER MATTHEW SITS FOR HIS MODEL--TSAR NICHOLAS I. TAKES A
FANCY TO VOLTAIRE’S CHAIR--A REPLICA SENT TO HIM--THE REV.
PETER MCKENZIE’S EXORCISM 143

CHAPTER XVIII

LANDSEER AND THE COUNT D’ORSAY VISIT THE EXHIBITION--A
FRIGHT--NORFOLK FARMER’S ACCOUNT OF QUEEN VICTORIA’S VISIT 148

CHAPTER XIX

WELLINGTON VISITS THE EFFIGY OF THE DEAD NAPOLEON, AND SITS
TO SIR GEORGE HAYTER FOR HISTORIC PICTURE--PAINTINGS FROM
MODELS--IS THE PHOTOGRAPH “TAKEN FROM LIFE,” OR--? 153

CHAPTER XX

THE STORY OF COLOUR-SERGEANT BATES’S MARCH THROUGH ENGLAND TO
PROVE ANGLO-AMERICAN GOODWILL--START FROM GRETNA--THE DOVE OF
PEACE 159

CHAPTER XXI

SERGEANT BATES’S JOURNEY FINISHES IN LONDON AMID A REMARKABLE
DEMONSTRATION--HIS GIFT TO MADAME TUSSAUD’S 164

CHAPTER XXII

MY FIRST MODEL--BEACONSFIELD’S CURL--GLADSTONE’S COLLAR--JOHN
BRIGHT AND THE CHINAMAN 171

CHAPTER XXIII

THE TICHBORNE “CLAIMANT”--NEARLY AN EXPLOSION--THE BIG
MAN’S CLOTHES--THE REAL HEIR--THE CLAIMANT’S RELEASE FROM
PRISON--CONFESSION AND DEATH 177

CHAPTER XXIV

H. M. STANLEY SITS TO JOSEPH TUSSAUD--THE STORY OF HIS
LIFE--HOW HE FOUND LIVINGSTONE--A MYSTERIOUS VEILED LADY--THE
PRINCE IMPERIAL 181

CHAPTER XXV

COUNT LÉON--THE SHAH OF PERSIA’S VISIT--A WEIRD SUGGESTION; NO
RESPONSE--KING KOFFEE--CETEWAYO 184

CHAPTER XXVI

THE BERLIN CONGRESS--LORD BEACONSFIELD AND THE “TURNERELLI
WREATH”--“THE PEOPLE’S TRIBUTE” FINDS A HOME AT TUSSAUD’S--THE
SCULPTOR’S DESPAIR--HE CONSTRUCTS HIS TOMBSTONE AND DIES 190

CHAPTER XXVII

THE PHŒNIX PARK MURDERS--WE SECURE THE JAUNTING-CAR AND
PONY--CHARLES BRADLAUGH--GENERAL BOULANGER--LORD ROBERTS
INSPECTS THE MODEL OF HIMSELF 197

CHAPTER XXVIII

MY FAVOURITE PORTRAIT--LORD TENNYSON POSES UNCONSCIOUSLY BEFORE
MY WIFE--“THIS BEATS TUSSAUD’S”--SIR RICHARD BURTON--HIS WIDOW
CLOTHES THE MODEL 203

CHAPTER XXIX

REMOVAL OF THE EXHIBITION TO THE PRESENT BUILDING--SLEEPING
FIGURES--HISTORY OF THE PORTMAN ROOMS--THE CATO STREET
CONSPIRACY--BARON GRANT’S STAIRCASE 208

CHAPTER XXX

THE KING OF SIAM’S VISIT--THE SHAHZADA’S CLOTHING--THE KING OF
BURMAH’S WAR ELEPHANT--TALE OF TWO MONKEYS 215

CHAPTER XXXI

QUEEN VICTORIA’S COPPERPLATES--ANOTHER ROYAL PERSIAN
VISIT--“PERISHED BY FIRE”--“VISCOUNT HINTON” AND HIS ORGAN--THE
COQUETTE’S JEWELS LOST AND FOUND 220

CHAPTER XXXII

ROYAL VISITORS--KING ALPHONSO AND PRINCESS ENA--THE LATE
EMPEROR FREDERICK--A PENNILESS TRIO--PRINCESS CHARLES--THE
PRINCE OF WALES AND PRINCE ALBERT 225

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE BEGUM OF BHOPAL PAYS US A VISIT--LORD ROSEBERY AND LORD
ANNALY--LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL--LADY BEATTY--LADY JELLICOE AND
MRS. ASQUITH 231

CHAPTER XXXIV

TUSSAUD’S AS EDUCATOR--QUEER QUESTIONS--WANTED, A “MODEL”
WIFE--QUAINT EXTRACT FROM AN INDIAN’S DIARY 236

CHAPTER XXXV

STARS OF THE STAGE IN MY STUDIO--MISS ELLEN TERRY HAS A CUP OF
TEA--SIR SQUIRE AND LADY BANCROFT--SIR HENRY IRVING AND THE
CABBY--WE COMPLY WITH A STRANGE REQUEST 242

CHAPTER XXXVI

LITERARY SITTERS--GEORGE R. SIMS’ IMPROMPTU--HIS ORDEAL IN THE
CHAMBER OF HORRORS. GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA’S MASTERPIECE 249

CHAPTER XXXVII

G. A. SALA ON MARIE ANTOINETTE--THE ROYAL FAMILY--THE
QUEEN--HER “TRIAL,” CONDEMNATION AND DEATH--THE SANSONS--SALA’S
IMPRESSIONS 254

CHAPTER XXXVIII

MORE SITTERS--MR. JOHN BURNS WALKS AND TALKS--WE BUY HIS ONLY
SUIT--MR. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW HAS TO WORK FOR HIS LIVING--FOUR
LEADING SUFFRAGETTES--CHRISTABEL’S MODEL “SPEAKS”--THE CHANNEL
SWIMMER--GENERAL BOOTH 275

CHAPTER XXXIX

BANK HOLIDAY QUEUES--CUP-TIE DAY--GENTLEMEN FROM THE
NORTH--BACHELOR BEANFEASTS--THE MEMBER FOR OLDHAM--A SCARE 282

CHAPTER XL

THE MYSTERIOUS SUN YAT SEN’S VISIT--HIS ESCAPE FROM THE CHINESE
LEGATION--THE DARGAI TABLEAU--SIR WILLIAM TRELOAR ENTERTAINS
HIS LITTLE FRIENDS 287

CHAPTER XLI

A MISCELLANY OF HUMOUR--OUR POLICEMAN--THE MYSTERIOUS
LANTERN--THE DANGER OF OLD CATALOGUES--STORIES OF CHILDREN--SIR
ERNEST SHACKLETON’S MODEL 291

CHAPTER XLII

THE LURE OF HORRORS--BEGINNINGS OF THE “DEAD ROOM”--SIR THOMAS
LAWRENCE, P.R.A., SKETCHES A SUICIDE--BURKE AND HARE--FIESCHI’S
INFERNAL MACHINE--GREENACRE--EXECUTIONS IN PUBLIC--“FREE AT
LAST!” 297

CHAPTER XLIII

THE CHAMBER OF HORRORS RUMOUR--_NO REWARD HAS BEEN OR
WILL BE OFFERED_--THE CONSTABLE’S ESCAPADE--A NOCTURNAL
EXPERIENCE--DUMAS’S COMEDY OF THE CHAMBER--YEOMEN OF THE HALTER
307

CHAPTER XLIV

ANECDOTAL--“WHICH IS PEACE?”--MARK TWAIN AT TUSSAUD’S--DR.
GRACE’S STORY--MR. KIPLING’S MODEL--FILIAL PRIDE--BISHOP
JACKSON’S SALLY--GERMAN INACCURACY 315

CHAPTER XLV

ENEMY MODELS--A HOSTILE PUBLIC--BANISHMENT OF FOUR RULERS--OUR
REPLY TO JOHN BULL--ATTACKS ON THE KAISER’S EFFIGY--STORY OF AN
IRON CROSS 320

CHAPTER XLVI

TUSSAUD’S DURING THE WAR--CHAMELEON CROWDS--THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF COURAGE--MEN OF ST. DUNSTAN’S--POIGNANT MEMORIES--OUR
WATCHMAN’S SOLILOQUY 326

CHAPTER XLVII

THREE HEROES OF THE WAR: NURSE CAVELL, JACK CORNWELL, V.C.,
CAPTAIN FRYATT--LORDS ROBERTS AND KITCHENER--QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S
STICK AND VIOLETS--THE DUKE OF NORFOLK’S TIP 335

CHAPTER XLVIII

A CRINOLINE COMEDY--MR. BRUCE SMITH’S STORY--AN AMERICAN
LADY’S SHILLING--MY FATHER’S MEETING WITH BARNUM--THE
“CHERRY-COLOURED” CAT--“PAGANINI” AND THE TAILOR--GEORGE
GROSSMITH POSES 341

CHAPTER XLIX

WE VISIT THE OLD BAILEY FOR MEMENTOES--A MOCK TRIAL--RELICS OF
OLD NEWGATE--TWO FAMOUS CELLS--THE NEWGATE BELL 346

CHAPTER L

TUSSAUD’S IN VERSE--TOM HOOD’S QUATRAIN--“ALFRED AMONG
THE IMMORTALS”--A REFUGE FOR CABINET MINISTERS--TWO
DIALOGUES--“THIS IS FAME” 352