Taxidermy
Taxidermy
is the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals
for display. It became a popular part of interior design and décor
in the Victorian era and today, it still receives the same amusement
as it once did.
Polly
Morgan, a taxidermist and sculpture, says that a lot of people
“turned against taxidermy” in recent years. She goes on to
mention that this is due to a lack of understanding the art and that
people are now starting to embrace the skills again.
Below
are a few examples of taxidermy which in today's modern world do
still exist in certain places including offices and homes, usually a
portrayal of wealth and style.
Anthropomorphic
Taxidermy
The
Great Exhibition:
In
the late 19th century, a style known as Anthropomorphic
taxidermy became popular; stuffed animals were dressed in a way that
resembled the garments of people and were also displayed as if
interacting in human activities. An early example of this form of
taxidermy was displayed by Herman Ploucquet from Stuttgart, Germany,
at the Great Exhibition, otherwise known as the Crystal Palace
Exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London from 1st
May to 11th October 1851.
The
Great Exhibition was organised by Henry Cole and prince Albert
(husband of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria). Many famous people
of the time attended this exhibition, including Charles Darwin,
Samuel Colt, members of the Orleanist Royal Family and the writers
Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Elliot and
Alfred Tennyson.
The
Great Exhibition, 1851
Walter
Potter:
The
English taxidermist Walter Potter (1835-1918) was the best-known
practitioner in this genre. He became famous as an icon of Victorian
eccentricity with his most famous work being The Death and Burial
of Cock Robin. His museum in Bramber, Sussex, included the most
peculiar, yet uniquely brilliant taxidermy, ranging from bizarrely
deformed animals such as multi-legged kittens to simulations of human
situations, for example, a classroom of rabbits and a kitten tea
party. His museum was incredibly popular that an extension was built
on a platform at Bramber railway station. However, this museum was
later closed in the '70s, although in 2010, many of Potter's works
were exhibited by the artist Sir Peter Blake at London's 'Museum of
Everything'.
“The
subsequent dispersal of Potter's works has meant the loss of a truly
unique Victorian legacy” says Pat Morris, writer of a Walter Potter
biography.
Museum
of Everything
Southbank
Centre
Belvedere
Road
London
SE1
8XX
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7960 4200
I
visited the 'Museum of Everything' to expand my knowledge on the
topic and also to understand the amusement behind the “art” (as
they say) of the eccentric taxidermy.
However,
with limited stuffed animals on display, (these being the
non-anthropomorphic one's) I was unable to bring any evidence of my
trip to the museum home. You may be thinking, 'well why not just snap
what's there anyway?'
That's
about the only picture I was allowed to take.
So
as I did not wish to die anytime soon, I hate to inform you that I
did not take the risk of taking any pictures. Sorry guys!
However,
lucky for me, with Potter's very own website, I was able to bring his
art to me, which is something I can share with you without having a
'death penalty' on my conscience.
And
I must put forth, to my surprise, I did enjoy viewing this 'Victorian
whimsy' of a village school featuring 48 little rabbits writing on
tiny slates, kitty marriages and many more peculiarly interesting
human situations.
The
rabbits village school, 1888
Dr
Pat Morris, an expert in the history of taxidermy, told the Today
programme's Evan Davis, “Queen Victoria used to look at this sort
of stuff and be amused by it.”
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24201830)
People
usually liked taxidermy because it was a way to keep their dead
animals still visible to them.
However,
“[...] eighteenth-century naturalists hardly
encouraged individuals to choose taxidermy as a way to remember their
pets. Before the late eighteenth century, if domestic creatures were
stuffed, the motive […] was to preserve their exotic strangeness.”
(http://www.ravishingbeasts.com/some-thoughts-about-stuffed-pe/)
what
I also found interesting from the museum was a bizarre selection of
taxidermy furniture and jewellery among other morbid objects. As
mentioned in another blog, “mourning jewellery first became popular
with the passing of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
Victoria was so devastated by his death, she dressed in mourning
clothes for the remainder of her life.”
This
act of wearing mourning jewellery with the hair or nail clippings of
the deceased inside lockets or brooches served for three main
functions in the Victorian era:
- It was an outward manifestation that the person had not been forgotten.
- It was a memento; a reminder to the living of the inevitability of death
- It was a status symbol
Locks
of hair set neatly inside a brooch to be worn
Now
you may be thinking, how does this relate to taxidermy?
Well,
after the morbid mourning jewellery was brought into Victorian
fashion, it wasn't long until taxidermists decided to make jewellery
relative to their art too. Yes I'm talking dead animal parts in
jewellery.
Rats were specifically used in this morbid jewellery, ranging from rat head and tail necklaces, rat paw earrings and it gets worse... a rat heart pendant.
If you're thinking, who would wear such horrific jewellery? Well we may have revolutionised our fashion today, though we still do have a similar fashion to that of the Victorians, with the higher class in today's England wearing what is portrayed to be classy and fashionable: a fox scarf with the head and tail still attached.
It
seems as if we have become so obsessed with the idea of dead animals
around us, what with surrounding ourselves with taxidermy on our
walls for decoration and wearing dead animals with the features still
there. It's a bit bizarre really that we would find this notion of
the dead animal intriguing. Why is it that Emily Bronte constantly
refers to dead animals in Wuthering Heights? Why
the interest in mentioning something that should be displeasing to
hear? Why is it that we are interested in this sort of thing?
Bronte
often uses animal imagery as a metaphor in order to stress the death
of morals in mankind. Linton is described as a”chicken”
(Wuthering Heights, 207),
Hareton a “dog” (310), Heathcliff a “mad dog” (162) and a
“savage beast” (169).
Dogs
pay a significant role in this novel as they are present in many
major scenes. One main scene is where Heathcliff uses a handkerchief
to hang the dog by his neck on a bridle hook. This ignorance of
animal cruelty seems to be common in the Victorian era with many
satisfied with their fur fashion regardless of what cruelty the
animal they are wearing felt. Also the the kittens that are mistaken
for dead rabbits shows ignorance and a lack of care for the poor
rabbits.
A
blogger states: “Wuthering
Heights is so dismal, dark and dead animals. It looks like no one
cleans
in that place.”
Taxidermy
and Fashion:
Taxidermy
has been and always will be a representation of the rich folk, with
the more extravagant stuffed animals depicting more wealth. Think of
Mr Burns, for example, from the The Simpsons
who has a ginormous stuffed bear in his office, who we presume to be
the richest man in the cartoon.
If
garments of real animal fur are associated with wealth, then it is
likely that these higher class citizens would also hold real fur
accessories: fur bags, purses, jewellery, bottle covers even.
A necklace with a
stuffed duck, embellished with grey pearls.
A mouse purse (left) and squirrel bottle covers (right)
Finally,
I will end with my opinion on taxidermy. As disturbing as this may
sound to some, I do enjoy researching Potter's various works on
animal human situations – his rabbit school, a personal favourite
of mine, however I must stress, I do not agree with intentionally
harming or killing animals for the purpose of making art or clothing.
Potter's
works are unique, they are a different form of art all together, a
result of intelligent creativity and I will continue to gain more
insight on the subject for my own pleasure, though the morbid rat
feature/ organ jewellery is where I draw the line. It's one thing to
enjoy viewing dead animals, though to be amused by gruesome rat paws
and tails situated upon your neck or dangling from your ears, or on
your finger is another kind of dreadful.
So
is taxidermy an art? I believe it is.
Below
is a video on Walter Potter if you'd like to find out more:
… And
to finish off, here is a final image of a squirrel dressed as Queen
Victoria.
Works cited:
Wakeham,
P. Taxidermic Signs: Reconstructing Aboriginality. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
Alberti,
S. The Afterlives of Animals: Charlottesville: University of
Virginia Press, 2009.
Images:
http://champagnemanagement.com/articles/2009/06/15/the-wonderful-world-of-anthropomorphic-taxidermy/
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