OTD: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London Unveils Figures of The Beatles — They’re Still Creepy
On March 28, 1964, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum unveiled their wax figures of The Beatles. The group got to see them the following month. However, decades later, the figures are still creepy.
On March 28, 1964, Madame Tussauds unveiled their wax figures of The Beatles
For over 100 years, Madame Tussauds has made wax figures of celebrities and other well-known figures and displayed them in their museums worldwide. French wax sculptor, Marie Tussaud, founded the first museum in London in 1835.
At the London museum, Madame Tussauds unveiled their wax figures of The Beatles on March 28, 1964.
The Beatles had recently visited the U.S. for the first time and quickly took the world by storm. Beatlemania was in full swing. Madame Tussauds would’ve been fools not to capitalize on their popularity. If fans weren’t lucky enough to see the group in person, at least they could go to the wax museum and feel like they saw the Fab Four in the flesh.
A month after Madame Tussauds unveiled their figures of The Beatles, the band came to the museum to take photos with them. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, The Beatles were the first pop stars to receive the honor of being turned into a wax figure for the museum.
Madame Tussauds allowed The Beatles to use their wax figures for the cover of ‘Sgt. Pepper’
The Beatles’ wax figures weren’t just for their fans’ benefit. They also came in handy for the band a couple of years later.
In 1967, Madame Tussauds loaned their figures of The Beatles to artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth to be used on the cover of The Beatles’ album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The wax figures were put in black suits and placed to the side of the real band members who stood before many pictures of the people they admired. Those who believe in the “Paul is Dead” theory think the wax figures look like they’re at a funeral.
There was another real-life mystery that surrounded the figures, though. According to Beatles Bible, three of the heads – John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr – used for the cover went missing for nearly two decades. However, they were rediscovered in 2005 and auctioned for £81,500.
Since The Beatles’ images frequently changed throughout the 1960s, Madame Tussauds kept reworking their wax figures.
The original wax figures of the band are creepy
It wouldn’t have been a total loss if all of the original Madame Tussauds Beatles figures were lost. They were creepy.
Other than maybe Ringo, none of the band member’s wax figures resemble them. Paul McCartney’s eyebrows are weird. He almost looks like a cartoon version of himself. George looks equally strange, and John’s figure looks absolutely nothing like him.
They weren’t that great, unfortunately. However, the figures at the Madame Tussauds in Blackpool – featuring The Beatles in their Abbey Road getup – look a hundred times better and more realistic.
According to Madame Tussauds website, no Beatles figures are currently displayed due to maintenance work. Whether they look realistic or not, the figures are a great way to honor the band decades later. They introduce The Beatles to a whole new generation.
