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DC wax museum adds Harriet Tubman to collection

A wax likeness of the renowned abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad Harriet Ross Tubman is unveiled at the Presidents Gallery by Madame Tussauds in Washington in celebration of Black History Month, Tuesday, February 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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The Associated Press 3:31 PM Tuesday, February 7, 2012

WASHINGTON — Descendants of Harriet Tubman have gathered at The President's Gallery by Madame Tussauds and unveiled a wax statue of the woman who led hundreds of slaves to freedom.

Tubman's great-great-great-grand-nephew, Charles E.T. Ross, and Tubman's great-great-grand-niece, Valery Ross Manokey, were present at the Washington wax museum Tuesday to see the statue join a collection of historical figures.

The museum says it added the Tubman likeness in honor of Black History Month. It already has wax figures of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and others.

Tubman was born into slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore. After escaping in 1849, the abolitionist led countless slaves from the South to freedom along the Underground Railroad.

Artists from Madame Tussauds spend months creating each new lifelike figure, relying on photographs, historical accounts and paintings.

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February 07, 2012 08:25 PM EST

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