Tag Archives for taxidermy

Relating to the prepared and mounted skins of animals

The best natural history specimen in the world (did not get thrown on a fire)

This article is reposted from the UCL Museums blog.

Last week I saw something that had never occurred to me might be possible to see. Through the years I have learned a lot about this object – I knew where it was, I knew where it came from and I certainly know its place in the pantheon of the history of natural history. We even have a cast of it in the Grant Museum.

If you had asked me what the best natural history object in the UK was, most days I would tell you it was this one. I had just assumed that seeing it wasn’t something that ever happened, even for people who run university zoology museums.

The Grant Museum team an a sperm whale jaw at the OUMNH (they're closed for roof repairs)Last Wednesday the staff of the Grant Museum went on an expedition to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH), which is closed for roof repairs until 2014. On a visit to the zoology section a cupboard was opened before us, it was filled with skulls, dried fish and a couple of boxes. As the history of this cupboard was explained – it was Tradescant’s Museum – the oldest in the country – it suddenly dawned on me what was in those boxes. And that we were going to see it.

We were going to see the only soft tissue of a dodo anywhere in the world. Continue reading →

Books on the History of Taxidermy

History of Taxidermy

Here are two useful books on the history of taxidermy that went out of print soon after publication have been reprinted and are now available again (in softback only).

Edward Gerrard & Sons – a taxidermy memoir

by Pat Morris

This is an account of the once famous London firm whose work can be seen in many museums from Britain to Australia. They began by specialising in osteological preparations, but by the late 19th century had diversified into taxidermy and model making (particularly as teaching aids in schools).
A speciality of Gerrards was making ‘animal furniture’, an astonishing variety of bizarre objects. You would not believe how many things can be made from a dead elephant! A final chapter reviews the history and closure of Gerrard Hire Ltd, suppliers of mounted specimens for theatrical and photographic work. Stuffed vultures were particularly popular to take to people in hospital apparently.

The King’s Choice

by Pat Morris & Rob Chinnery

This book describes the beautiful taxidermy by George Quatremain (1846-1917). He was well-known to famous artists of his day, and active in Stratford on Avon and Malvern.
Some of his mounted animals were set up in natural surroundings and photographed for calendars. As befits the quality of Quatremain’s work, this book includes some full colour illustrations.