The Art of Taxidermy

Before it became fashionable to add preserved animals to home décor during the Victorian era, taxidermy was used as a scientific and educational tool. That approach fell out of favor, but here, journalist Eastoe (Elizabeth: Reigning in Style) persuasively argues that this underappreciated craft deserves greater respect. Opening with a photo of the oldest taxidermy piece in existence—a crocodile from the 16th century—Eastoe traces the practice’s evolution with well-chosen examples. Yes, there are jackalopes and walls lined with hunting trophies, but the lavishly illustrated book also features whimsical fencing mice and a riot of over 300 hummingbirds in a glass enclosure to show the breadth of some taxidermists’ work. Rather than dwell on the process or attempt to catalogue the wide variety of animals she’s found on display, Eastoe chooses to highlight some of the craft’s key contributors, such as Rowland Ward and William Temple Hornaday, whose disgust at the decimation of American buffalo herds led him to produce displays of the animals that ultimately led to the creation of a national park. Closing with an appreciation for current taxidermists (many of them artists), Eastoe does a terrific job of highlighting the thoughtfulness and creativity behind a craft often dismissed as kitschy or creepy. Illus. (Oct.)