Taxidermy

Taxidermy is the art of preparing and preserving the skins or parts of the bodies of animals, birds, reptiles, fish, or other creatures, and then mounting them in such a fashion so as to appear in a lifelike state. The craft of stuffing animals is centuries old, but the process was accomplished in a crude fashion until the late 18th century, when somewhat more sophisticated procedures were employed. By the early 20th century, modern taxidermy had evolved and was capable of producing extraordinarily lifelike specimens. Taxidermy has long been popular in the United States because Americans perceive a certain organic beauty in animals and birds, even if dead. Taxidermy converts the corpses of deceased creatures into seemingly live statuary, but frozen in time and place. Taxidermy products are quite diverse and can be categorically divided into eight different varieties.

Taxidermy is both a zoological art form and a thanatological art form. It is a zoological art form in that it produces mounted specimens of animals, birds, and fish in their natural state for the edification and pleasure of those who view them. The mounted creatures may serve a number of manifest functions, including education, enlightenment, entertainment, amusement, utility, attracting interest, and impression, mood, atmosphere, and emotion management. From the thanatological perspective, the practice of taxidermy has latent functions that seek the refutation of death. One latent function of taxidermy is that it serves to acquaint the viewer with the reality of death. Even though the animal is dead, the skilled taxidermist can restore symbolic life to the creature by giving it the impression of both viability and reanimation. Taxidermy can be seen as transcending death by projecting the image of life.

In the past, taxidermy was categorized as a socially marginal art, but today there is a strong emphasis on aesthetics in mounting animals. Taxidermy involves a number of technical protocols, such as tanning the skin, inserting and properly positioning glass eyes into the eye sockets of the form, fitting the hide to the form, and sewing the skin to tighten the hides on the form. Taxidermy is a unique enterprise in that it seeks to create nature in the form of dead animals, imitate art in the shape of organic statuary, rather than art imitating nature.

Taxidermy in American Life

Taxidermy has a strong and visible presence in American culture, as it appears in television, movies, commercial establishments, household items, clothing, and even in humor. Taxidermy has been institutionalized as an American folk craft. At one time, taxidermy skills were so desirable that the Boy Scouts of America awarded a merit badge to scouts who mastered these skills.

Taxidermy can be an avocation, occupation, or both. Many individuals originally take it up as a hobby, but often after acquiring and perfecting their skills and developing a sense of aesthetics and artistic creativity, they pursue the skill commercially. The most remarkable aspect of taxidermy is the fact that the great majority of taxidermists acquire their expertise via mail order correspondence courses.

Taxidermy and Cultural Utility

Taxidermy specimens are employed in various configurations for different social purposes and serve several functions in American culture. An examination of the various categories of taxidermy demonstrates the diversity of forms and functions that taxidermy manifests. Taxidermy can be divided into two distinctive levels of cultural

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