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Photography

July 2009

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Thursday, July 23, 2009 – Opening Wax

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard at Orange - opening week

Marie Tussaud (1761–1850) was born in Strasbourg and created her first wax figure, of Voltaire, in 1777. In 1835 she opened her museum in Baker Street, London, between Dorset Street and King Street – the Chamber of Horrors, with wax figures of victims of the French Revolution and murderers and various nasty criminals. Yes, Sherlock Holmes lived on the same street, at 221b – but at the time of those stories street numbers in Baker Street only went up to 100. Arthur Conan Doyle was being careful – he was writing fiction. But the Chamber of Horrors on Baker Street had inspired him. The section north of Marylebone Road, near Regent's Park, now includes 221 Baker Street, but back then that was Upper Baker Street. In 1883 Tussaud's grandson commissioned the building that is now the famous Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, on Marylebone Road. It's all very odd.

Now Madame Tussauds is a worldwide chain of wax museums – and the criminals and gore are long gone, replaced by celebrities. And this summer Hollywood finally got its very own Madame Tussauds – brand new, fancy and modern, right next to Grauman's Chinese Theater. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would not approve.

What you would expect – not Voltaire –

Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Samuel L. Jackson figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Samuel L. Jackson figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard at Orange - opening week
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard at Orange - opening week

But these move and will talk with you –

Dora the Explorer impersonator, Hollywood Boulevard
Gene Simmons (Kiss) impersonator, Hollywood Boulevard
Sliver Mime, Hollywood Boulevard

Classic –

Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Marilyn Monroe figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hollywood - opening week
Bas relief hand and bag, Victoria's Secret, Hollywood and Highland

If you wish to use any of these photos for commercial purposes I assume you'll discuss that with me. And should you choose to download any of these images and use them invoking the "fair use" provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976, please provide credit, and, on the web, a link back to this site.

Technical Note:

These photographs were taken with a Nikon D200 – the lenses used were AF-S Nikkor 18-70 mm 1:35-4.5G ED, or AF Nikkor 70-300 mm telephoto.  The high-resolution photography here was modified for web posting using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 software.

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All text and photos unless otherwise noted, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 - Alan M. Pavlik 

[July 2009] [Cool Waters] [Natural Competition] [Drinking Again] [The National Holiday] [Also Dead Now] [Boulevard Images] [Sousa Lives] [The Military] [The Politicians] [American Beauties] [Tin Lizzies] [Patriotic Rides] [The Flag] [Fireworks] [Trapped] [The End of It] [The Mannequins] [Wall Work] [Ghost Windows] [The Inevitable] [Utility Box Art] [Sad Food] [The Boats] [Hot Shots] [Men at Work] [Hazy Days] [Hot Geometry] [Go Forth] [The Rogers Folly] [Touched by Evil] [Food Art] [La La Land] [One Bicycle] [Hollywood as It Is] [Heat Advisory] [Name of the Rose] [Paper White] [Hope Fades] [Two Vans] [Hollywood Sideways] [Endless Summer] [Angels and Devils] [Cactus Geometry] [Opening Wax] [Facing the Faces] [Bougainvillea] [To Laugh] [Gun Crazy] [New Faces] [Hollywood Rodents] [War and Peace] [Alley Cats] [Hollywood Couples] [Hollywood Art] [My Hollywood]