DOCSLIB.ORG

Taxidermy Is a Mix of Art, Science...Hair Spray and Bondo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Taxidermy Is a Mix of Art, Science...Hair Spray and Bondo Taxidermy is a mix of art, science...hair spray and Bondo Story and photos by Eric Aldrich 8 WILDLIFEILDLIFE JJOURNAL Ever look closely at a mount of a fish or a deer on a wall and wonder… “How’d they do that?” ost folks who’ve used a taxidermist’s service They’re sculpted by specialized artists who are Mknow how their mount was made and what’s well known in the trade, like Rick Carter, Sallie inside it. They’ve been to the taxidermist’s shop. Dahmes and Dwayne “Bones” Johnson. Suppliers They’ve seen the strange mute-colored forms – or have manikins for everything you can imagine, manikins of various creatures. They’ve answered from antelopes to zebras. They’ve even got mani- the taxidermist’s questions about how they want kins for fish, snakes, squirrels...you name it. their game or fish mounted. Taxidermy suppliers have catalogs and websites But for those who’ve never been to the filled with this stuff. If you need a deer shoulder taxidermist’s workshop, the process is kind of a mount with a right-turning head, just order it. mystery. “Taxidermy has come a long way in the past “It’s a mix of art, science and a whole bunch of few years,” says Verville. “It’s a lot more realistic. skills,” said Leon Verville, a taxidermist from You’ve got a lot more choices in how you can have Loudon. For sure. A good taxidermist has to know things mounted and displayed. And there are a lot woodworking, tanning, sculpting, drawing, mold- more choices in terms of materials.” ing, and sewing, among other things. “You have to know about wildlife and you’ve got to have Hair Spray and Bondo some artistic ability.” Verville is one of 43 commercial taxidermists A taxidermist’s shop is a strange place for a in New Hampshire, a mix of full- and part-timers. newcomer. It’s usually in a basement or garage. Verville began learning the skills when he was 15 Unlike fly-tying, it’s not something you want to – starting off with squirrels – with help from an do at the kitchen table. uncle who was a taxidermist. A typical workshop looks like a combination While some taxidermists learn at professional of an auto body shop, a hair salon and a museum. taxidermy schools, not Verville. “I went to the Scattered on a workbench you’ll see hair spray, brushes, combs, clay, Bondo, airbrushes, glue, school of hard knocks,” he says. “I learned by Nashua taxidermist doing it, making a few mistakes early on, and just spatulas, hammers, nails, pins, screws and all sorts of other tools. Some tools look like something Jim Dubowik readies sticking with it to get better. I’m still learning a bull moose today.” you’d see at the dentist; others look like they’d be used by a surgeon or a seamstress. manikin, which will soon have a thick It Ain’t Stuffin’ continued on next page coat and a fine rack. Taxidermists who’ve been at it for a while will tell you that the craft has advanced dramatically in the past 20 years. Long gone are the days when animal skins were filled with wood shavings, straw, paper or anything else that happened to work. No wonder the practice is no longer called “stuffing.” And today’s displays are called mounts, not “stuffed animals” (a term better off for teddy bears). “Now, we have available to us the highest quality materials,” says Jim Dubowik of Hillside Taxidermy in Nashua. “In the mid-1970s every- thing changed. No more stuffing. No more form- aldehyde. It’s a lot better and it’s a lot safer. You’ve got a lot more control over your tanning and you’ve got a wider range of choices for your mount.” Today’s taxidermists have access to commer- cial suppliers who deal in mass quantities of all kinds of weird stuff, like artificial eyes, noses, tongues, mouths and ears. Then there are the forms – or manikins – the polyurethane foam cores that fill out the skin. Suppliers offer hundreds of varieties of manikins just for white-tailed deer shoulder mounts. WILDLIFEILDLIFE JJOURNAL 9 Hanging from the ceil- rotting flesh; a taxider- ings are pairs of deer ant- mist makes sure nothing lers, each tagged with the rots. Sometimes it’s the customer’s name. At the smell of Bondo and hair right stage in the process, spray. Sometimes it’s the those antlers will go back smell of Borax. “Unless you’re on the deer’s head, so a Taxidermists who do taxidermist has to be care- their own tanning create here all the time ful not to mix up antlers. a whole set of interest- it’s hard to A taxidermist sometimes ing smells. With the ad- appreciate the has to fix antlers that vent of improved chemi- amount of work have been cracked, bro- cals in recent years, the ken or even shot. tanning process has be- and hours that A taxidermist’s shop come less stinky and goes into it. Just also has boxes from sup- safer for the taxidermist. one turkey – ply companies, full of Some taxidermists, there’s about artificial eyes, plastic ear such as Verville, insist liners, mouths and all on sending their custom- three full days that sorts of supplies. ers’ skins to commercial goes into one And of course there tanneries or furriers. The turkey. It takes are mounts all over. advantage is that they hours to comb a Verville’s shop has a few The taxidermist’s skill is tested by delicate work have great confidence in deer shoulder mounts around his subjects’ mouths, ears, nose and eyes. the tanners’ abilities. turkey’s feathers.” (game heads) on the peg This wild sports a freshly painted mouth. The disadvantage is that board wall waiting for the turnaround time is customers to pick them up. In one corner is a much longer than that of a taxidermist who does wooden crate the size of a picnic table holding a the tanning. moose head, antlers and all. In another corner is a Dubowik and others, however, swear by doing Ear liners, imitation neat stack of recently finished bear-skin rugs with their own tanning. Aside from the quicker results, eyes, brushes, paper the heads. they claim to have more control over the pro- clips and tape are Scattered around Dubowik’s shop in Nashua cesses. but a small part of a are works he’s done for himself over the years, from And tanning is a key part of taxidermy. Done taxidermist’s arsenal. his early specimens – like fishers and foxes – to right, the mounted animal’s skin looks shiny and trophy whitetail heads. On real for many, many decades. Done wrong, a one wall is a wide collec- mount looks terrible. A poorly preserved skin can tion of fish he’s preserved: also quickly lose its hair or get eaten by moth big largemouths, northern larvae and other pests. pike, pickerel, brook trout and smallmouths. The Taxidermist’s Rhythm Some of the displays at a taxidermist’s shop be- Full-time taxidermists have a nonstop and come part of the collection ever-changing rhythm to their work, no matter when the customer – for what the season. Fish – for the taxidermists who lack of money or whatever prepare them – come in spring and summer. Deer – never picks up his mount. skins and black bear start coming in September. But most customers can’t By November, the deer are coming in at full pace wait. – along with the ducks and occasional small No wonder there’s usu- game. Throughout winter and spring, the taxider- ally a cordless phone handy mist is catching up. in the taxidermist’s shop. “There’s always something going on,” Verville When it rings, it’s someone says. “Unless you’re here all the time it’s hard to checking prices, making appreciate the amount of work and hours that goes arrangements for pickup or into it. Just one turkey – there’s about three full drop-off, or wondering days that goes into one turkey. It takes hours to when a mount will be ready. comb a turkey’s feathers.” “Never bug your taxider- Verville’s lack of slow time comes in part from mist,” Verville suggests. his work on exotic big game. He’s done musk ox, And then there’s the wolverine, a Bengal tiger, African sable, antelope, smells of a taxidermist stu- zebra, lynx, mountain lion, Kodiak bears...the list dio. No, it’s not the smell of goes on. He’s done some animals he’s never heard 1010 WWILDLIFEILDLIFE JJOURNALOURNAL of until the hunter deliv- with the tanning – con- ered it. It’s a job that verting the coat into forces you to learn about leather. With the hunter’s wildlife. help, the taxidermist has “The work is all in to choose a manikin that how you pace the tasks,” matches the specimen. says Dubowik, who’s That’s a decision that Of the 43 worked full time for nine involves the specimen’s years. “You put one skin pose, size and other char- commercial in a solution, you go on acteristics. taxidermists in the to another task. You do The taxidermist then state, Pratt is that, then you take the has to attach the antlers skin out and dry it.” and eyes to the manikin. among four that Taxidermists have After being tanned, the are women. She’s their own specialties. skin has to be softened had the One taxidermist, Loren in a mixture of water and occasional caller Nash of Berlin, does a a mildew resistant agent.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bob's Wildlife Taxidermy Celebrating 30Th Anniversary Orefield Landmark Ready for Another Hunting Season
    Bob's Wildlife Taxidermy Celebrating 30th Anniversary Orefield Landmark Ready for another Hunting Season Fall hunting seasons are just around the corner, and thousands of Lehigh Valley sportsmen will soon head afield in search of a trophy. For those hunters lucky enough to bag the buck, bear or bird of a lifetime, Orefield taxidermist Bob V. Danenhower Sr. is ready to preserve your memories. Danenhower said it's hard to believe it's been a quarter century since Bob's Wildlife Taxidermy opened its doors. His passion for wildlife dates to his childhood, and he began studying taxidermy at the age of 13, taking mail order courses from the Northwest School of Taxidermy. “I would have to work in my dad's business, Humphrey’s Hydraulics, to earn enough money to order my next lesson,” Danenhower recalled. “It seemed to take forever, because Dad didn’t pay so well.” In the 70s, Danenhower worked for Laros Taxidermy in Allentown, where he learned the finer points of wildlife art from veteran taxidermist Dick Laros. “I had to wait until I was 18 to take my taxidermy test,” he said. “Eighteen was state law at that time, and I was the first 18-year-old ever to be licensed in Pennsylvania.” Becoming a full-time taxidermist is no easy task, especially when you start with nothing but some cheap hand tools, knowledge and a strong work ethic. “There were several lean years when we really looked forward to the local game warden dropping off a fresh, road-killed deer so we could fill the freezer with venison,” Danenhower said.
    [Show full text]
  • What You Should Know About a Federal Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permit
    WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT A FEDERAL MIGRATORY BIRD TAXIDERMY PERMIT A Federal Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permit will authorize you to mount or otherwise perform taxidermy work on migratory birds, their parts, nests or eggs, belonging to someone else. The conditions of a Federal Taxidermy Permit are very specific. You should review Title 50 Parts 10, 13, 20 (subparts A-B, D-J) and 21.24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). You are responsible for reviewing and understanding these regulations before you request and accept a permit. These regulations can be found on our website at: https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and- regulations/permits/permit-policies-and-regulations.php. Refer to Taxidermists and Federal Law for more information. Below is a review of several sections pertinent to a Federal Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permit. 1. Can I mount migratory game birds with a Federal Taxidermy permit? Yes. You can receive and mount migratory game birds taken and possessed in accordance with applicable Federal and State hunting regulations. All such birds must be properly tagged as required by 50 CFR 20.36. The tag may be removed during taxidermy operations but must be retained and reattached after mounting, and must remain attached until the specimen is delivered to the owner. (See 50 CFR 21.24(d)(2)) 2. Can I mount and sell captive-reared migratory waterfowl? Yes. You can sell properly marked, captive-reared migratory waterfowl that you have acquired from a propagator who has a Federal Migratory Bird Waterfowl Sale and Disposal permit. The propagator must give you a completed Notice of Transfer or Sale of Migratory Waterfowl form (Form 3-186) at the time of the transfer and you must maintain this form in your files.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Look at Dead Animals? Taxidermy in Contemporary Art by Vanessa Mae Bateman Submitted to OCAD University in Partial Fulfillme
    Why Look at Dead Animals? Taxidermy in Contemporary Art by Vanessa Mae Bateman Submitted to OCAD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Contemporary Art, Design, and New Media Art Histories Vanessa Mae Bateman, May 2013 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. ! Copyright Notice This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. You are free to: Share – To copy, distribute and transmit the written work. You are not free to: Share any images used in this work under copyright unless noted as belonging to the public domain. Under the following conditions: Attribution – You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial – You may not use those work for commercial purposes. Non-Derivative Works – You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. With the understanding that: Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
    [Show full text]
  • Maine Taxidermy Information Booklet
    MAINE TAXIDERMY INFORMATION BOOKLET (This Booklet is only an information summary and is not law as printed) Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 284 State Street State House Station #41 Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-8000 mefishwildlife.com MAINE TAXIDERMY INFORMATION BOOKLET INDEX Classifications of Taxidermy ................................................................................................ 2 Change of Address ............................................................................................................... 6 Definition of Taxidermy ....................................................................................................... 1 Disciplinary Action ............................................................................................................... 5 Endangered and Threatened Species .................................................................................. 8 Fee ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Good Business Recommendations .................................................................................... 10 Hearings ............................................................................................................................... 6 Investigation – Grounds for Suspension .............................................................................. 5 License Period .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Learn More About John James Audubon
    “How could I make a little book, when I have seen enough to make a dozen large books?” Birds of America, the culmination of 15 years of passionate study, was a mammoth undertaking. It cost $115,640 (approximately $2,000,000 today) and included 435 life- size prints of 497 bird species, engraved on copper plates by Robert Havell, Jr. and colored by an assembly line of 50 colorists. Printed on “double elephant” sized paper, Audubon laid out the images with an artist’s eye rather than by biological classification, reaping the scorn of ornithological purists, but winning praise even from King George IV. Scottish artist, John Syme, painted his portrait in frontier regalia (which now hangs in the White House). London’s Royal Society elected him a fellow. English and French noblemen became subscribers. “To have been torn from the study would have been as death; my time was entirely occupied with art.” Life after Birds of America was a continuing roller coaster ride for Audubon. He reunited with his family in the United States only to return to England to find that many of his subscribers were in default and that he had lost others due to the poor quality of the coloring of the plates. Yet he continued to add to his collection of bird and wildlife drawings, exploring the west, the Florida coast, and Labrador, and publishing three more books, including an octavo edition of Birds of America that included 65 additional plates. “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” After his death, Lucy sold the New York Historical Society all of the 435 preparatory watercolors for Birds of America.
    [Show full text]
  • An Inventory of Major European Bird Collections by C
    C.S. Roselaar 253 Bull. B.O.C. 2003 123A An inventory of major European bird collections by C. S. Roselaar Introduction During a Round Table Discussion convened by Dr Walter Bock and Dr Henri Ouellet at the XXI International Ornithological Congress in Vienna, 20–25 August 1994, a number of staff members of European ornithological collections expressed the opinion that more cooperation among them was desirable. Many museums suffer from shrinking budgets, making improvement, maintenance, or even access to the collections difficult. Maintaining the world’s biodiversity is of major concern among biologists at the moment, and although this concern is also acknowledged by various governments it has not resulted in any additional support for museum ornithology. Bird collections form a rich source of biodiversity data. Taxonomic information in regional and global handbooks can only be extracted from museum collections. Morphometric data taken from skins of various populations are of importance for unravelling migration patterns for instance. Population studies profit from collections of specimens of known age and sex. Reference collections for identification and training will always be needed, both for laymen (e.g. rarity committees) and scientists (e.g. as help in enforcement of CITES and other national and international nature conservation legislation, for the statistics of bird/aircraft collisions, archaeology, and in ecological studies). Recently, bird skins or feathers have acquired additional relevance as a source of DNA for phylogenetic and population studies. Biochemical data have become a major source of phylogenetic information, from the level of populations up to the level of phyla, but can only be interpreted with reference to collections of entire organisms.
    [Show full text]
  • How Much Money Can I Make As a Taxidermist? Short Answer
    How much money can I make as a taxidermist? Short Answer: If you are lazy, (and we're being honest here)...you won't make a lot of money, no matter where you live or what the economy is like. If however, you live in an area with good hunting or fishing, and If you are self motivated, taxidermy can be extremely lucrative! Long Answer: A motivated taxidermist can reasonably earn over $10,000 per month. Taxidermists earn a living through a wide variety of projects, including shoulder mounts (gameheads), rugs, lifesize mounts, birds, fish, antler plaques, European mounts, etc. Although some taxidermists service areas with lot of fishing and/or bird hunting, most taxidermy businesses make the bulk of their income through gameheads, so that will be used as our example. Taxidermists vary in what they charge for gameheads, depending on what part of the country they live in, local economy, and of course quality of the taxidermists' work. A taxidermist who takes a lot of shortcuts will most likely be at the lower end of the price scale. These types of shortcuts include practices such as simply skinning the deer, slapping on some dry tanning powder, neglecting to take the cartilage out of the ears, etc. The result is a cheap mount that NOT look good as it ages. Ears shrink & curl, lips separate, noses shrivel, the hide pulls away from the form, and one year can make a poorly mounted deer look ancient. On the other side of the coin are taxidermists who spend a little more time and a few more dollars on each shoulder mount, resulting in a product that will stand the test of time.
    [Show full text]
  • Fifty Years of Museum Work
    FIFTY YEARS OF MUSEUM WORK Autobiography, Unpublished Papers, and Bibliography of FREDERIC A. LUCAS, Sc.D. PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM NEW YORK 1933 Champlin Studios, New York Published in "The Auk," XLVII, No. 3, April, 103 FREDERIC AUGUSTUS LUCAS, 1923 FIFTY YEARS OF MUSEUM WORK Autobiography, Unpublished Papers, and Bibliography °f FREDERIC A. LUCAS, Sc.D. PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM NEW YORK 1933 FOREWORD To few men are granted fifty years of service to any great cause. In his fifty years of original and inspiring service to three leading Ameri­ can institutions, the National, the Brooklyn, and the American Museums, Frederic A. Lucas holds an absolutely unique record. Other men have served one institution throughout similar periods of life, but to render brilliant and enduring service in three institutions is without a parallel. We do not need to look far for an explanation; he was eminently mu­ seum-minded, as evidenced in his rare powers of museum expression both in the artistic and natural arrangement of exhibits and the prepara­ tion of descriptive labels. Gifted to an unusual degree with the all-too- rare talent of what may be called museum-expression, such gifts would have been valueless and even dangerous if not superposed on a thorough and splendid training as a naturalist. Dr. Lucas's lifelong researches in many branches of natural his­ tory, beginning in the year 1880 and ending in 1929, include no less than 365 titles which range in the old-fashioned way from insects to dinosaurs through the whole gamut of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mam­ mals.
    [Show full text]
  • Captive Lion Breeding, Canned Lion Hunting & the Lion Bone Trade
    Captive Lion Breeding & Canned Lion Hunting: Damaging Brand South Africa? Captive Lion Breeding, Canned Lion Hunting & the Lion Bone Trade: Damaging Brand South Africa? A review of the worldwide reaction to South Africa’s captive lion breeding and canned hunting industry and involvement in the lion bone trade CACH UK & SPOTS Netherlands, August 2018 1 Captive Lion Breeding & Canned Lion Hunting: Damaging Brand South Africa? Introduction captive bred lion operators to advertise or market captive bred lions at its annual convention. Tourism is a key contributor to South Africa’s economy. In 2017, 10.29 million foreign tourists visited South Africa. In 2016 (last available detailed And just this month, South Africa’s Mango Airlines have joined the campaign data) tourism accounted for 2.9% of GDP, R136.1bn, and employed against lion cub petting with their in-flight magazine cover featuring a 686,586 people – outperforming key industries in job creation from 2012-16. powerful image of a lion and her cubs with the caption “her cubs, not yours”. (Figures from Statistics South Africa http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=4362) But this negative worldwide image can easily be turned round to a PR win - A positive external image is essential for attracting overseas tourists. For many by banning captive lion breeding and phasing out captive bred lion hunting years foreign visitors have associated South Africa with stunning wildlife in in a managed way. This will show the world that the South African can lead natural habitats. But over the last few years, revelations about the truth and the way on animal welfare and ethical wildlife tourism.
    [Show full text]
  • Illinois Taxidermy Laws
    ILLINOIS TAXIDERMY LAWS ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY 2014 ILLINOIS TAXIDERMY LAWS The business of taxidermy is governed and regulated by the Fish and Aquatic Life Code [515 ILCS 5 et. seq.], the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5 et. seq.], and the Endangered Species Protection Act [520 ILCS 10 et. seq.]. The regulations contained in these statutes apply to all species of aquatic life, endangered and threatened species, and other protected species of birds and mammals. The following information was taken from the state regulations in effect on May 1, 2014. This is only intended as a guide to those state regulations, which are subject to change. Contact the Department of Natural Resources office in Springfield at 217-782-6431or go to http://www.dnr.illinois.gov for further questions. To view Illinois Wildlife laws online, go to www.ilga.gov and search under “Illinois Compiled Statutes” and/or “Illinois Administrative Rules”. Copies of the Illinois Conservation Law code book are available for purchase through: LexisNexis Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. Attn: Customer Service 1275 Broadway Albany, NY 12204-2694 Phone: 800-562-1197 Fax: 800-828-8341 For more information about the Illinois Taxidermist Association call: Frank Williams, President 430 S St Louis St. Anne, IL 60964 (815) 427-6075 INDEX I. DEFINITIONS II. TAXIDERMY REGULATIONS A. PERMIT REQUIREMENTS B. RECORD AND TAGGING REQUIREMENTS C. INSPECTIONS D. GREEN HIDES - POSSESSION AND TANNING E. SHIPPING F. IMPORTATION OF HUNTER-HARVESTED DEER AND ELK CARCASSES III. PURCHASING SPECIMENS FOR TAXIDERMY PURPOSES A. BUYING AND SELLING AQUATIC LIFE B.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ornithological Cabinet of Jean-Baptiste Becoeur and the Secret of the Arsenical Soap
    Atrhiv~~sc?f ilcl~rrtrrlhirloty 33 I I ): 146-158. 2006 0 L.C. Kc>olimaal;er,P.A. klorris. I.E. Glenn & P.J. klulldy 2006. The ornithological cabinet of Jean-Baptiste Becoeur and the secret of the arsenical soap 4 The Grange, 1,owc.r C~ilclecotc.,Bigleswade. Beclfordshire SG 18 9ET. CTK (e-mail: rliincl@rool\nlaahc.r. frcc'ser\P.CO.LI~ ) (cclr-re\lxlnding authorl. " \Vest l~luina.Lonclon Road. Ascot S15 7DG. LIE;. ' Centre for Filrn and htledia Studie4. Universily 01' Ci~peTc)wn. South Africa. D Dcpartniznt ol' Forest Resources and Wildlife hIana_genic.~i~.Nalional University of Scierlcs arid Tcchnolo_ry. PO Box .4C 939, Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe ABSTRACT: The u\e of arsenical soap to rcliably prcscrve hird \bins was orlc of the most \ipniticant ad\ance\ in tlie development of ornithology. but the inventor of this material ncver published the szcret of its coniposition :and remains largely ~lnhnown..lean-Baptistc BCcocur 117 18-17771. plinl-macist in klelr t France), Iiad u cabinet of European birds. u;hich was only generally described during liis lifetime. The collection was sold to Duke Karl 111 of Zcvcibriichen to he incorporated in the cabinct in Knrlsbe~p. Although specimens [nay have been tl-a~~sfeireclto \~laii~~heiii~or Met7 around 1795. none can no\+(be recosni7ed. Rt5coeur experimented with a variety of chclnical!, to discover a \+il\; to stop insect atlacks on the $kins. Believing to have succeeded in 17-13. he tsicd to advertiw tlie efficacy of his method tq di\tributing treated bird skins to the Jardin des Plan~csin Paris and wme influential cabiller owners.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientific Taxidermy, US Natural History Museums
    “Strict Fidelity to Nature”: Scientific Taxidermy, U.S. Natural History Museums, and Craft Consensus, 1880s-1930s Jonathan David Grunert Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science and Technology Studies Mark V. Barrow, Jr., Chair Matthew R. Goodrum Matthew Wisnioski Eileen Crist Patzig September 27, 2019 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: taxidermy, natural history, museum, scientific representation, visual culture “Strict Fidelity to Nature”: Scientific Taxidermy, U.S. Natural History Museums, and Craft Consensus, 1880s-1930s Jonathan David Grunert ABSTRACT As taxidermy increased in prominence in American natural history museums in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the idea of trying to replicate nature through mounts and displays became increasingly central. Crude practices of overstuffing skins gave way to a focus on the artistic modelling of animal skins over a sculpted plaster and papier-mâché form to create scientifically accurate and aesthetically pleasing mounts, a technique largely developed at Ward’s Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, New York. Many of Ward’s taxidermists utilized their authority in taxidermy practices as they formally organized into the short-lived Society of American Taxidermists (1880-1883) before moving into positions in natural history museums across the United States. Through examinations of published and archival museum materials, as well as historic mounts, I argue that taxidermists at these museums reached an unspoken consensus concerning how their mounts would balance pleasing aesthetics with scientific accuracy, while adjusting their practices as they considered the priorities of numerous stakeholders.
    [Show full text]