John Theodore Tussaud (2 May 1858 – 13 October 1943) was a British sculptor, manager and chief artist of

Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...

wax museum, as well as an author of several books. John Theodore Tussaud was born in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, England, the great-grandson of

Marie Tussaud Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud (; née Grosholtz; 1 December 1761 – 16 April 1850) was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and Madame Tussauds, the wax museum she founded in London. Biography Marie Tussaud was born 1 December 1761 in St ...

. Although his father sold

to a company headed by Edwin Josiah Poyser in February 1889, John Theodore Tussaud continued in his role as manager and chief artist for many years. He exhibited a bust of

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

and other sculptures at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. He wrote a book on the history of Madame Tussauds and the book ''The Chosen Four'' about four of Napoleon Bonaparte's loyal supporters who followed him into exile on

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

. In 1935, Tussaud was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

. He died in Croxley Green in 1943.

References

1858 births 1943 deaths 19th-century British sculptors 20th-century British sculptors English sculptors English male sculptors People from Kensington English people of French descent English people of German descent {{UK-sculptor-stub