And in case you need a little more incentive, here is Harper's Magazine's recent interview with Jay, here is a little sampler of interview. (Well, not really a sampler.  Just the first questions.)

1. You first stumbled across Akeley while writing a story for Harper’s. What made you identify him as a subject for a book?

The Harper’s piece was about the non-existence of the Eastern Panther (Puma concolor couguar). I’d been reading a lot of natural history to understand how it had gone extinct in the nineteenth century before making a return as Bigfoot’s feline cousin, and I came across something in passing about a “famous taxidermist” who had once strangled a leopard with his bare hands. When I realized this was the guy behind the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History, I immediately became intrigued. I grew even more so when I learned of his obsession with being a True Artist, and how, in order to fulfill that obsession, he had not only strangled a leopard, but gone on these insane, massive expeditions, dragging with him small armies of painters and sculptors, and terrorizing his African porters along the way. I think what I found so compelling was the idea of anyone going to such preposterous lengths for something that, in the end, as art—or even as the “scientific” contribution it purported to be—was dubious at best. I also liked having a story where I could meditate on the absurdity of adventure in general—for me, it kind of throws a cheery light on the pointlessness of all human ambition. Most appealing, though, was the paradox of Akeley’s character: he killed animals in order to save them.

Read the interview here: http://harpers.org/archive/2011/12/hbc-90008352

Read more here: http://fashioningfeathers.com/

NAME: Sarah Bacavis
AGE: 23
OCCUPATION: Artist and curiosity cabinet designer
LOCATION: Colorado
TOTAL NUMBER OF TAXIDERMY PIECES: 15 or so actual taxidermy mounts, some of which I’m still repairing.

FAVOURITE PIECE: My capybara head is pretty unusual. He came from a Brazilian Safari in the sixties. Apparently while my taxidermist friend was working on repairing him another employee walked in and asked her if he was a baby hippo! The mount traveled all the way from Florida where he was discovered hanging on the wall of an antique store.  The coolest thing about him is he has a giant scar running down his face from where he was once attacked by a Jaguar!  

What was your very first piece of taxidermy? The very first mount I bought came from a local antique store. The guy at the antique store told me he had a llama mount in his back room; it turned out to be a female pronghorn. I didn’t have the heart to correct him.  

Where do you find pieces for your collection? Garage sales, thrift stores, antique stores, and online.

Where do you display your taxidermy?  We live in a small apartment, so all throughout the place! It’s like one big wonder cabinet!

How or when did you become interested in taxidermy? In Kindergarten the teacher had a Barracuda taxidermy mount in the classroom. It was hanging on the wall near the reading area and I used to sit by it and read. I think that sparked the interest in me. It didn’t take long before I had shelves put up in my room so I could display my treasures; skulls and bones found in the creek, the tail of a squirrel I drug home, and mouse bones extracted from countless owl pellets. It was my own personal nature center.  

What do you think taxidermy is?  Art? Souvenir? Kitsch? Nature? There’s taxidermy out there that fits into every one of those niches! Despite some of  he really kitschy pieces out there, I feel strongly that taxidermy is an art form.  It’s an age old art form and antique taxidermy mounts are true time capsules. I like to collect antique Taxidermy pieces especially because they evoke a sense of romanticism. They tell a story of a time period filled with exciting scientific discoveries and expeditions into the “uncivilized” world. 

Do any pieces have names? Yep. All of them end up with names. For example our Caribou mount is named Pisces because my husband thought that a Caribou was a fish.

Have you ever prepared a taxidermy mount? In 8^th grade I tanned a deer hide. I ended up with only a tiny hide after most of the hair slipped. Since then I’ve mounted a Faux dog head and a coyote. Mainly I work on restoring older mounts that need a little TLC. But I want to learn.

Do you worry about displaying so much death... that is, do you ever get negative reactions to your collection?  I never see it as death. It feels more like living at the natural history museum. Instead of making people disgusted it seems to intrigue them. Still, I get the typical “Eww they’re looking at me. Creepy!” type of comments from unsuspecting guests once in awhile.

Why do you think taxidermy is back in fashion? Taxidermy seems to mesh well with a variety of popular styles. Now everyone from hipsters, hunters, steam-punkers, vintage lovers, and minimalists love the stuff. Deer heads are no longer relegated to the lodge. It’s nice to see the interest, but I can’t wait for the mainstream fascination to die off...then the prices of beaten up old mounts can drop again!

If you were reincarnated as an animal, what would you be and why? A leopard. They may not be the largest of the big cats but they hold their own.  They’re illusive and independent. They also have a striking sense of fashion.  

Here is the front cover of my book - The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and The Culture of Longing. Read more in the catalogue here: http://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-05372-1.html

Check out Puerto Rico's official Christmas postcard from the Mayor of Puerto Rico, Jorge Santini, and his family.  Apparently, the taxidermied violence is a visual statement of the Mayor's support the San Juan Wildlife Museum.  Or maybe it's a coded warning to his political rivals.

Some of the animals have actually made a number of media appearances already.  The bear appeared on the red carpet at the "Borat" Film Premiere, the white dove in flight is currently in a window display at Harrods, the stag's head has appeared in various films including Sherlock Holmes and Wolfman.  Go figure.

I don't know why I find this so strange, but I really, really do - Martha Stewart has a spread on taxidermy.  I know the old school practice has gone mainstream, but I hadn't realised it was this pervasive. 

Read the comments -- as ever, taxidermy is completely polarising and generates either complete outrage, shock, and disgust or aesthetic ecstasy. Bold move Martha.

Love it or hate it but check it out at http://www.marthastewart.com/853388/my-home-yours-taxidermy

"here are a few photos from the natural history museum in addis. i stumbled upon the museum on my way somewhere else, and not being able to pass a museum without pause, i soon found myself wandering around inside. it's interesting (and not so unusual) when museums themselves become relics of another era. this museum is clearly dated. this style of taxidermy and diorama's seems to have gone out of style in newer museums and exhibits around the world. the taxidermied creatures show their age, as old taxidermied creatures do.

of course, it's not only in africa that one finds museums-as-time-capsules. visiting the royal museum for central africa near brussels in 2005 was a similar experience. not only were their dated dioramas, but in many rooms the information on display seemed stuck in a colonial era, unchanged since most african countries gained independence around 50 years ago."

This cheeky series of signs were designed by Christina Davis and Jen Bervin to be placed among the specimens at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.  The installation was part of the annual HMNH event  “Bizarre Animals: An Evening of Contemporary Art Interventions” during which artists present works in response to the museum’s collections.

Read more about the event here: http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/press-room/bizarre-animals.html

See more signs here from Christina Davis' flickr account here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/csdavis/sets/72157626335833539/