- DURATION 60 mins
Event Description
On the evening of 18th March 1925, a devastating fire ripped through the Marylebone premises of Madame Tussaud’s. By the time the fire was extinguished the following morning, little was left of the world-famous waxworks beyond a few grotesquely distorted models and a pile of scrap iron, which was the remnants of one of Napoléon’s carriages. This illustrated talk is not only about a long-forgotten fire that destroyed the original concept of Madame Tussaud’s, as a Cabinet of Curiosities rather than a waxworks, but also about some of the major discrepancies relating to Madame Tussaud herself, the authenticity of much of her collection, and the fate of items such as the original guillotine that was believed to have cut off the heads of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
- Duration: 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Christopher
After Oxford University, Christopher Joll spent six years as an officer in The Life Guards. Since leaving the Army he has been involved in devising major fund-raising pageants for military charities, published six works of non-fiction, and a fifteen-volume military-historical/action-adventure series. Christopher is also a guest lecturer for Noble Caledonia and the Regimental Historian of the Household Cavalry.
More Information
What if I can’t make the event?
If a recording’s available for the event, you can still register for it and we will send you an email with a link to a recording shortly after it ends.
Will my camera be on and will I be visible to the other people?
Your camera and microphone does not need to be on for you to enjoy the event. The choice about whether to do this is completely yours.
How do I watch the live event?
Rest Less events are hosted on Zoom, a computer application that allows you to attend online events just by clicking a link. For detailed instructions, please go to our "FAQ" page, which you can find a link to in the nav bar at the top of the page.
How do I sign-up for and access the recording? (Recorded events only)
Book the event as normal (as if you are attending live). After the event ends you will automatically receive a post-event email with a link to the recording, as long as the event was recorded. You do not need to do anything else and there is no separate booking process for recordings only. Please note it can take up to 24 hours for Zoom to process recordings.