The waxwork of British Prime Minister David Cameron was unveiled at Madame Tussauds on Friday.
Cameron's pregnant wife, Samantha Cameron, or SamCam, was at the unveiling, and she gushed: 'They've done the most incredible job,' she said. 'He looks so real.'
Also unveiled at the famous London tourist attraction was an exact replica of 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister. It took four months to make, meanign work started on it two months before this year's General Election.
The PM posed for the waxwork at Portcullis House, a building which houses the offices of 210 MPs next door to the Houses of Parliament.
The model cost £150,000 and took 20 people to make.
It's a tradition for Madame Tussauds to create a waxwork model of a new British PM, although Cameron's predecessor, Gordon Brown, did not have one made for him - the image of a dour, grumpy, humourless Scotsman with a face like thunder is hard to re-create in wax.
The new Downing Street set is part of the attraction’s World Stage area, which features a number of other leading statesmen such as President Barack Obama, portrayed in a replica of the iconic Oval Office.
Some left-wingers will probably be saying that the real Cameron is waxy enough.
Madame Tussauds was established in Britain in the 1830s and now has branches around the world.
First No.10, now Madame Tussauds: David Cameron moves into another London tourist attraction
By Sam Greenhill
2nd July 2010
Daily Mail
She giggled, smiled and made eyes at him, but her husband remained unmoved.
Samantha Cameron was not offended, however, because she was unveiling a waxwork of the Prime Minister at Madame Tussauds.
'They've done the most incredible job,' she said. 'He looks so real.'
I can't believe it's not Dave: Samantha Cameron examines the wax likeness of her husband, the latest addition to Madame Tussauds
Replica: The tourist attraction has placed the new Prime Minister outside a mock-up of Downing Street
Which is just as well, considering the model cost £150,000 and took 20 people to make. Mr Cameron, whose wax alter ego goes on public view from today at the London tourist attraction, posed for the sculptors at Portcullis House.
They must have been confident of his success at the polls because he apparently took four months to make, meaning work must have started in March, two months before the general election.
Samantha Cameron waxed lyrical about a new model of her husband, the Prime Minister, as she officially unveiled a specially created Downing Street display this morning.
Marie Tussaud
Madame Tussauds is a tourist attraction established in Britain in the 1830s by a Frenchwoman, Marie Tussaud, born in 1761 in Strasbourg, France. She worked as a housekeeper for Dr Phillipe Curtius, a Swiss physician, who taught Marie the skills of wax modelling. Her first wax model was of Voltaire, which she created in 1777. Other famous people she modelled at that time include Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. During the French Revolution she modelled many prominent victims. She would search through corpses to find the decapitated heads of executed citizens, from which she would make death masks. Following the doctor's death in 1794, she inherited his vast collection. In 1795, she married Francois Tussaud and moved to London in 1802. By then France and Great Britain were at war so she was unable to return home, so she decided to travel around Britain exhibiting her collection of waxwork models. From 1831 she took a series of short leases on the "Baker Street Bazaar" (on the west side of Baker Street between Dorset Street and King Street). This became Tussaud's first permanent home in 1836. One of the main attractions of her museum was the Chamber of Horrors. This part of the exhibition included victims of the French Revolution and newly created figures of murderers and other criminals. Other famous people were added to the exhibition, including Horatio Nelson, and Sir Walter Scott. Some of the sculptures done by Marie Tussaud herself still exist. The gallery originally contained some 400 different figures, but fire damage in 1925, and German bombs in 1941, has rendered most of these older models defunct. The casts themselves have survived (allowing the historical waxworks to be remade) – and these can be seen in the museum's history exhibit. The oldest figure on display is that of Madame du Barry. Other ancient faces from the time of Tussaud include Robespierre, George III and Benjamin Franklin. In 1842, she made a self portrait which is now on display at the entrance of her museum. Madame Tussaud died in her sleep on 15 April 1850.
Mrs Cameron, who recently received a Glamour Magazine Award for Best Accessory Designer, said 'They’ve done an amazing job, they’re such talented artists: he even has a little bit of stubble. The children will be amazed when they see it!'
It's something of a tradition for the world-famous waxwork gallery to display a figure of each new British PM. The only one of recent years not to have been so immortalised was Mr Cameron's predecessor, Gordon Brown.
Will the real Dave please stand up? The wax PM above and the real thing below on the Cameron's first night in Downing Street
The real David Cameron smiles with his wife at the door of No10 on the day he became PM in May
'We are pleased to welcome David Cameron as the British Prime Minister and are delighted that Samantha Cameron has been the first to meet his figure unveiled at our very own Downing Street', said Liz Edwards, spokesperson for Madame Tussauds in London.
'Guests will now get the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the country’s elected leader at one of the world’s most famous addresses and we are sure they will love it.'
Gordon Brown is the only British PM of recent years to not be immortalised in wax
The new Downing Street set is part of the attraction’s World Stage area, which features a number of other leading statesmen such as President Barack Obama, portrayed in a replica of the iconic Oval Office.
Mrs Cameron told reporters 'They've done the most incredible job, it's amazing. He looks so real. He just looks identical to him really.'
Sadly, she could not be persuaded to plant a kiss on the famously smooth cheek by desperate photographers, saying 'I'm worried I might leave my lipstick on him'.
Making history: David Cameron poses during a sitting for his waxwork model at Portculluis House
dailymail.co.uk
Cameron's pregnant wife, Samantha Cameron, or SamCam, was at the unveiling, and she gushed: 'They've done the most incredible job,' she said. 'He looks so real.'
Also unveiled at the famous London tourist attraction was an exact replica of 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister. It took four months to make, meanign work started on it two months before this year's General Election.
The PM posed for the waxwork at Portcullis House, a building which houses the offices of 210 MPs next door to the Houses of Parliament.
The model cost £150,000 and took 20 people to make.
It's a tradition for Madame Tussauds to create a waxwork model of a new British PM, although Cameron's predecessor, Gordon Brown, did not have one made for him - the image of a dour, grumpy, humourless Scotsman with a face like thunder is hard to re-create in wax.
The new Downing Street set is part of the attraction’s World Stage area, which features a number of other leading statesmen such as President Barack Obama, portrayed in a replica of the iconic Oval Office.
Some left-wingers will probably be saying that the real Cameron is waxy enough.
Madame Tussauds was established in Britain in the 1830s and now has branches around the world.
First No.10, now Madame Tussauds: David Cameron moves into another London tourist attraction
By Sam Greenhill
2nd July 2010
Daily Mail
She giggled, smiled and made eyes at him, but her husband remained unmoved.
Samantha Cameron was not offended, however, because she was unveiling a waxwork of the Prime Minister at Madame Tussauds.
'They've done the most incredible job,' she said. 'He looks so real.'
I can't believe it's not Dave: Samantha Cameron examines the wax likeness of her husband, the latest addition to Madame Tussauds
Replica: The tourist attraction has placed the new Prime Minister outside a mock-up of Downing Street
Which is just as well, considering the model cost £150,000 and took 20 people to make. Mr Cameron, whose wax alter ego goes on public view from today at the London tourist attraction, posed for the sculptors at Portcullis House.
They must have been confident of his success at the polls because he apparently took four months to make, meaning work must have started in March, two months before the general election.
Samantha Cameron waxed lyrical about a new model of her husband, the Prime Minister, as she officially unveiled a specially created Downing Street display this morning.
Marie Tussaud
Madame Tussauds is a tourist attraction established in Britain in the 1830s by a Frenchwoman, Marie Tussaud, born in 1761 in Strasbourg, France. She worked as a housekeeper for Dr Phillipe Curtius, a Swiss physician, who taught Marie the skills of wax modelling. Her first wax model was of Voltaire, which she created in 1777. Other famous people she modelled at that time include Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. During the French Revolution she modelled many prominent victims. She would search through corpses to find the decapitated heads of executed citizens, from which she would make death masks. Following the doctor's death in 1794, she inherited his vast collection. In 1795, she married Francois Tussaud and moved to London in 1802. By then France and Great Britain were at war so she was unable to return home, so she decided to travel around Britain exhibiting her collection of waxwork models. From 1831 she took a series of short leases on the "Baker Street Bazaar" (on the west side of Baker Street between Dorset Street and King Street). This became Tussaud's first permanent home in 1836. One of the main attractions of her museum was the Chamber of Horrors. This part of the exhibition included victims of the French Revolution and newly created figures of murderers and other criminals. Other famous people were added to the exhibition, including Horatio Nelson, and Sir Walter Scott. Some of the sculptures done by Marie Tussaud herself still exist. The gallery originally contained some 400 different figures, but fire damage in 1925, and German bombs in 1941, has rendered most of these older models defunct. The casts themselves have survived (allowing the historical waxworks to be remade) – and these can be seen in the museum's history exhibit. The oldest figure on display is that of Madame du Barry. Other ancient faces from the time of Tussaud include Robespierre, George III and Benjamin Franklin. In 1842, she made a self portrait which is now on display at the entrance of her museum. Madame Tussaud died in her sleep on 15 April 1850.
Mrs Cameron, who recently received a Glamour Magazine Award for Best Accessory Designer, said 'They’ve done an amazing job, they’re such talented artists: he even has a little bit of stubble. The children will be amazed when they see it!'
It's something of a tradition for the world-famous waxwork gallery to display a figure of each new British PM. The only one of recent years not to have been so immortalised was Mr Cameron's predecessor, Gordon Brown.
Will the real Dave please stand up? The wax PM above and the real thing below on the Cameron's first night in Downing Street
The real David Cameron smiles with his wife at the door of No10 on the day he became PM in May
'We are pleased to welcome David Cameron as the British Prime Minister and are delighted that Samantha Cameron has been the first to meet his figure unveiled at our very own Downing Street', said Liz Edwards, spokesperson for Madame Tussauds in London.
'Guests will now get the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the country’s elected leader at one of the world’s most famous addresses and we are sure they will love it.'
Gordon Brown is the only British PM of recent years to not be immortalised in wax
The new Downing Street set is part of the attraction’s World Stage area, which features a number of other leading statesmen such as President Barack Obama, portrayed in a replica of the iconic Oval Office.
Mrs Cameron told reporters 'They've done the most incredible job, it's amazing. He looks so real. He just looks identical to him really.'
Sadly, she could not be persuaded to plant a kiss on the famously smooth cheek by desperate photographers, saying 'I'm worried I might leave my lipstick on him'.
dailymail.co.uk
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