Daily Picture: Darling We're Waxing Pretty

This picture of Joan was taken at the unveiling of the first waxwork at Madame Tussards in London. I visited the museum the day after to see the waxwork, which at the time was displayed in The Conservatory with other wax models of JR (Larry Hagman), Dame Edna Everage, Alfred Hitchcock and Dolly Parton. In 1989 Joan was remodelled a second time for the gallery of stars and was featured on a staircase while a photographer took pictures. It was my opinion that the first waxwork was the best of the two

First Daily Picture for 2012

Happy New Year to everyone - this picture is from 1986 taken in Madame Tussards at the unveiling of the first waxwork of Joan.

Is There Much Down There, Joan?

This picture from March 1989 was used in UK newspaper reports at the launch of the 2nd wax figure of Joan and it's unveiling at Madame Tussards waxworks in London.

According to reports Joan was not impressed with the model,and didn't like the hair, it was "too tightly curled and not dark like mine" she told Tussards staff, and "The face isn't right either - why the lipstick doesn't even cover my lips".

The £2000.00 gold lame gown was made by royal designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel to Joan's order.

The figure was to feature in a gallery of Hollywood stars alongside Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Cher and Eddie Murphy, standing on a staircase as shown in this second press photo.

When I saw the waxwork on a trip to the museum days later, I wasn't impressed with it either and much preferred the first one from 1985.

Madame Tussards - London 1985

This press photo shows Joan at London's Madame Tussards Waxworks on 27th July 1985 after unveiling a waxwork of herself. This was the first time the Worldwide famous attraction had featured Joan.


I visited the next day, anxious to see the waxwork which was featured in a display in the Conservatory at the time, alongside Dame Edna Everage, and Dallas star Larry Hagman as JR.
Here are two photographs from my personal collection.




A second waxwork of Joan was commissioned in 1989 and I will feature details of this in a future post.