Interesting Taxidermy Facts
Today, taxidermy is for whitetail deer hunting enthusiasts and taxidermy collectors, however, the practice of preserving animals has been going on for many years. In fact, taxidermy has been a scientific art for centuries, with taxidermists taking painstaking time to create a true-to-life replica of the animal.
Think you know all there is to know about taxidermy? You may be surprised at these 9 interesting facts about its history, development, and practice.
1.) The word taxidermy comes from the Greek words taxis and derma.
The Greek word taxis means “arrangement,” and as you may have already guessed, the word derma means “derma.” The English word taxidermy that we use today is thought to have originally been used around the year 1800, by French zoologist named Francois Marie Daudin in an ornithology book.
2.) Modern taxidermy’s popularity skyrocketed in the early 19th century in England.
Although humans have been preserving animals for millennia (e.g. mummification), the actual practice of taxidermy didn’t really get its start until the 16th century. During this period, Europeans began experimenting with mounting the skins of various types of animals and created methods to better preserve them.
By the 19th century, modern taxidermy began to really take off. In the year 1851, London hosted what is known as the Great Exhibition. This event showcased 100,000 items from more than 15,000 contributors and many of these items were taxidermy pieces.
The Great Exhibition was a important part of taxidermy history, peaking people’s interest in the art of animal preservation. In the Victorian period following the Great Exhibition, taxidermy skyrocketed in popularity, with some taxidermists like Walter Potter even anthropomorphizing animals dressed in clothing. Even a young Theodore Roosevelt learned how to taxidermy.
3.) Captain James Cook used taxidermy during his expeditions.
In the year 1771, Captain James Cook journeyed on several expeditions throughout the South Pacific, where taxidermy was practiced. It is thought that a dog killed a kangaroo – and Cook brought the animal’s skin with him to London.
He also obtained bird specimens, which to this day are taxidermy displays in the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom.
4.) The earliest taxidermy mounts were stuffed with sawdust and rags without any concern for realistic anatomy.
Due to being only stuffed with sawdust and rags, the finished result looked disfigured compared to the actual anatomical structure of the animal in real life.
In modern times, taxidermists can purchase a mannequin to obtain the position they need and then stretch and sew the skin over it. This allows for a much more realistic look.
5.) In 1798, when people first saw a platypus specimen, they thought it was a made up taxidermy piece – not an actual animal.
In 1798, Captain John Hunter shipped the first platypus taxidermy, along with a sketch, back to England. Many people thought it was a hoax and believed it to be a duck billed sewn to a beaver’s body.
In fact, it is reported that George Shaw, the author of The Naturalist’s Miscellany: Or, Coloured Figures Of Natural Objects; Drawn and Described Immediately From Nature, took scissors to the platypus’s skin to confirm that it was fake.
6.) The first American taxidermy competition occurred in 1880.
The American Society of Taxidermists hosted the very first taxidermy competition on U.S. soil. The winner was William Temple Hornaday’s A Fight in the Tree-Tops. This piece displayed two Bornean orangutans sparring over a female.
Due to it’s scientific and anatomic accuracy, this piece inspired other taxidermists to strive for accuracy in their specimens also.
7.) Carl Akeley crafted the elephants still standing in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals with a painstaking eye for detail.
Regarded as “the Father of Modern Taxidermy,” Carl Akeley was a taxidermist, naturalist, sculptor, writer, and inventor. He went on two expeditions to Africa to bring back animal specimens for display in the Field Museum in Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
With a great eye for detail, Akeley and his team shot the elephant, photographed it for reference, took detailed measurements, cased the skull and leg bones in plaster and made a death mask of the face, and skinned it. The elephants he and his team worked on are still on display in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals. Carl Akeley, to this day, is known as a very important figure in taxidermy history.
8.) Arsenic was among taxidermy’s earliest of preservatives.
One of the earliest forms of preservations was arsenic. As a teenager, Theodore Roosevelt once tried to purchase a pound of arsenic at a store in Liverpool for taxidermy purposes.
Although an adult vouched for him, in one of his journal entries, he recalled that “I was informed that I must bring a witness to prove that I was not going to commit murder, suicide, or any such thing, before I could have it!”
9.) King Louis XV had a rhino that was taxidermized.
It was not uncommon for royals to receive exotic animals as a present. King Louis XV was gifted an Indian rhino in the year 1769. In 1793, King Louis XV’s Indian rhino was taxidermized after it was stabbed to death by a revolutionary. At the time, it was the largest animal to undergo a taxidermy process.
The skin of the animal and its bones are on display separately at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris.
Modern Taxidermy
Today, the taxidermy process has become more refined as experts learn to perfect the process. Popular animals that are often taxidermied include whitetail and mule deer (Whitetail, Mule, Fallow, etc.), birds, fish, bear, big cats, (cougar, lynx, bobcat, etc.), small game, and even exotic animals. All-Taxidermy can taxidermy any animal that you need for your office, cabin, store, or museum!
About All-Taxidermy
All-Taxidermy, based in Wrightstown, WI is committed to quality and professionalism with every animal specimen we handle. No matter if we are preparing a moose or a squirrel, we craft each taxidermy piece with care. Contact us for more information about taxidermy today, or shop our taxidermy mounts online.
