Feel festive, but without all the chemicals
Taxidermy comes from the Greek words taxis and derma, which mean “arrangement” and “skin.” The first references to the word date back to the early 1800s.
One of the first types of animal preservation can be traced back to ancient Egypt, more specifically, the process of mummification (i.e. mummified cats).
It is estimated that taxidermy started in 16th-century Europe. This is when the methods and chemicals necessary for the process were developed.
These are not quite the same, as different techniques were used, and for different purposes. “Mummies were created in a religious context, unlike taxidermy, which developed from a curiosity about nature,” wrote conservator Amandine Péquignot.
Taxidermy is the process of preserving an animal's body via stuffing or mounting (over an armature).
Though it was not until the 19th century that taxidermy became properly established.
In 1851, London hosted the Great Exhibition, which featured numerous examples of taxidermy, including a taxidermied elephant.
Taxidermy became a popular hobby at the time, with famous people such as Theodore Roosevelt taking lessons to learn the art.
Some bird specimens brought from Captain Cook's expeditions are on display in the London's Natural History Museum.
The art of “humanizing” stuffed animals also became popular. Victorian taxidermist Walter Potter, for instance, would dress them in clothes and place them in human-like settings.
Taxidermy played an important role in Captain Cook’s expeditions in the South Pacific. This was a way to preserve animals. It is believed that the first kangaroo skin was brought by Captain Cook to London in 1771.
Darwin wrote to his sister saying that Edmonstone “gained his livelihood by stuffing birds, which he did excellently: he gave me lessons for payment, and I used often to sit with him, for he was a very pleasant and intelligent man.”
Captain John Hunter sent the first platypus specimen back to England in 1798, but some scientists thought someone had just sewn a duck's bill to a beaver!
This shaped how we imagined animals, such as the extinct dodo. Taxidermists today can sculpt and stretch the animals’ skin using a mannequin or wind the body shape using string, like they did in Victorian times.
The first mounts were stuffed with rags and sawdust, which would affect the anatomy of the creatures.
A former slave from Guyana named John Edmonstone, who had learned taxidermy from naturalist Charles Waterton, taught Darwin how to preserve the specimens he collected.
"It naturally excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means," English zoologist George Shaw wrote in 1799.
The dioramas we can now find in several museums are pretty accurate. In 1889, Carl Akeleyc created the first habitat diorama in the US. It was on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum and portrayed muskrats.
It took place in 1880 and was won by taxidermist William Temple Hornaday’s "A Fight in the Tree-Tops," which featured two orangutans.
The scientifically-accurate scene inspired other taxidermists to strive for accuracy in their mounts.
Akeleyc's skills are mentioned in his wife’s memoir. She wrote that Akeleyc “skinned animals like a Park Avenue plastic surgeon,” to describe his level of detail in making incisions.
A young Theodore Roosevelt once tried to purchase a pound of arsenic for taxidermy purposes and was refused. "I was informed that I must bring a witness to prove that I was not going to commit murder, s uicide or any such [dreadful] thing, before I could have it!" he wrote.
Arsenic was one of the first preservatives used in taxidermy. Dead birds, such as songbirds, were popular on ladies' hats in Victorian times. It goes without saying that wearing a hat with arsenic was not good for their health!
There is a category in taxidermy competitions called “re-creations.” This is where taxidermists try to create an animal without using any of its actual parts (you can use natural parts of another animal, just not of the animal in question).
Louis XV’s rhino, which was killed by a revolutionary in 1793, was taxidermied. Its skin is still on display at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France.
An example would be making an eagle using chicken or turkey feathers.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (The Washington Post)
See also: The world's strangest museums
This differs from a “trophy,” which would be for example an animal’s head mounted on a wall.
Taxidermy has its own terminology. An example would be a “specimen,” which is an exact replica of an animal as it would be found in the wild.
Taxidermy is indeed an art. Mounting and stuffing an animal to make it look as if it were alive requires a lot of knowledge and talent. Taxidermy has been key in science, and is often the only way many of us can get up close to what would have been the real thing.
The art of taxidermy can be traced back centuries ago, though it was not until the 19th century that it really exploded in popularity. Curious to learn more about the fascinating world of taxidermy? Click on!
The fascinating world of taxidermy
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Taxidermy is indeed an art. Mounting and stuffing an animal to make it look as if it were alive requires a lot of knowledge and talent. Taxidermy has been key in science, and is often the only way many of us can get up close to what would have been the real thing.
The art of taxidermy can be traced back centuries ago, though it was not until the 19th century that it really exploded in popularity. Curious to learn more about the fascinating world of taxidermy? Click on!