Superwaxwork…
The original waxwork of Christopher Reeve’s Superman was given pride of place in the exit stairwell of London’s Madame Tussauds for many years after its introduction in 1979. The figure was suspended mid-air in a dramatic flying pose and had strobe lighting and a strategically placed fan to billow out the cape. Concrete rubble was distributed around a hole in the floor to create the effect of Superman bursting up through the ground and the effect was quite breathtaking, at least to my teenage self and all the other kids who stood around it yelling ‘Look! Its Superman! Christopher Reeve!!”
While the likeness was probably not as well-realised as the elaborate display across the pond (at the Movieland Wax Museum) and the hair somewhat flat, the costume had clearly been made as per the originals (supplied by Bermans & Nathans) to include a lightweight cape for movement. By the early 2000’s however, time and wear had taken its toll and like many Superman Movie costumes, the colour had faded dramatically and so a replica costume was produced for the figures relocation to the ‘Movie Room’, (bottom pic) where it would reside until the figure was retired sometime after 2010. If any Superfans out there have any more images of the figure (prior to the costume switch) I’d love to hear from you..!
