Madame Tussaud's Memoirs and Reminiscences of France: Forming an Abridged History of the French Revolution

As a younger woman, Anna Maria 'Marie' Tussaud (1761-1850) rubbed shoulders with many of the key figures of the French Revolution, sculpting in wax the likes of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Marat and Robespierre. After moving to Britain, she made her living by exhibiting her sculptures in numerous towns and cities. In 1835 she settled in London and opened her museum, which became one of the city's most popular attractions. Initially reluctant about releasing her memoirs, Madame Tussaud was convinced by her editor Francis Herve (1781-1850) that her unique position - of seeing first-hand the events and characters that drove the Revolution, while maintaining a generally non-partisan view of them - would make the book of real interest to the public. First published in 1838, it offers evocative eyewitness insights into one of the defining periods in modern European history.