Northern Wildlife Rescue

Like many art forms, taxidermy’s roots go way back in human history, to times when methods were primitive and results were spotty. In recent years, taxidermy has become so strongly supported by advances in technique and technology that it’s difficult to compare it to past forms of the art.

In some form, taxidermy has been around at least since the days of ancient Egypt; household pets and animals considered to be sacred were mummified much like humans in the ruling class were preserved. In the extreme short term, that kind of preservation was not unlike taxidermy, although it was not generally intended for public display or long-term preservation as modern taxidermy is.

The more modern form of taxidermy, the art of preserving and arranging an animal’s skin on a form intended to preserve what it looked like in life, was first mentioned during the Middle Ages. De arte venandi cum avibus, a treatise on falconry written in the 1240s by Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II of Hohenstaufen, speaks of bird preservation. Forms of hunting decoys, first known to be used in the early 1300s, were made from literally stuffed bird skins –not as precise or accurate as modern avian taxidermy, to be sure, but it certainly required reasonably effective skin preservation techniques. Naturalist Pierre Belon wrote the earliest known scientific explanation and instructions for taxidermic procedures in 1555, and further instructions were offered in 1622 by Giovanni Olina and in the late 1620s by JC Aitinger. While no specimens from those early days of taxidermy survive, pieces from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), a physician, naturalist and collector, formed the basis of the British Museum and can still be observed to this day. Taxidermy has also preserved some intact bird specimens collected on the voyages of Captain James Cook, and Meriwether Lewis studied taxidermy in the months before the outset of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in order to return preserved specimens to the United States.

During the Victorian Era, taxidermy reached what may have been its greatest level of popularity, as travelers to distant lands sought to preserve mementos of their visits, and as museums around the world undertook to display specimens for study. Using taxidermy as a factor in interior design also came into fashion during this time. Several taxidermists branched into bizarre niche markets such as anthropomorphic taxidermy, in which the subjects were posed as if partaking in human activities. Walter Potter’s “Kittens’ Tea & Croquet Party,” in which thirty-seven ginger kittens were shown enjoying tea and mouse tarts at a garden party, is one of the more famous –or infamous!– examples of this alternative style of taxidermy.

As the 20th century dawned, Carl E. Akeley, William T. Horneday, Coloman Jonas and Leon Pray ushered in the modern era of taxidermy. Seeking to use taxidermy to fulfill its original intent –to portray animals as they were when they were alive– these men and other pioneering artists developed accurate and detailed forms arranged in realistic but aesthetically pleasing poses. Their new mounting techniques enabled taxidermists to pose animals not in general, vaguely inaccurate poses but in proper, lifelike poses specific to that particular animal.

Building on the foundation set by centuries of artists before them, today’s taxidermists use current technology to ensure that majestic animals of all types can be enjoyed well into the future.

About the Author

Longtime taxidermist Shawn Dawson has competed at the state, national and world competitions, winning numerous ribbons and awards. Shawn is a recipient of the National Taxidermists Association (NTA) Award of Excellence –a very high honor which puts him in the Master Taxidermist division. He’s also a NTA Certified Judge and an instructor for the Academy of Realistic Taxidermy in Havre, Montana. As a one-on-one taxidermy workshop instructor, he offers a comprehensive, thorough training regime centered on individual attention. Shawn’s website is http://www.taxidermyworkshops.com