Torontonians Morgan Mavis and Christopher Bennell and their taxidemy ark were recently featured by the Globe and Mail in the Greater Toronto Edition (Saturday, June 14th, 2008). Check out the article, and if you're in the area, be sure to drop by the Contemporary Zoological Conservatory.  Click here to read the article +

"The Victorian cult of taxidermy is back." Antennae's issue on Rogue Taxidermy is now available.  The issue includes a short excerpt from my book as well as my interview with Eric Frank. Other articles include discussions of comtemporary taxidermists and artists such Polly Morgan, Brundis Snaebjorndottir, and Mark Wilson.  

Antennae is an online journal dedicated to exploring nature in visual culture.  A PDF of the issue can be downloaded at www.antennae.org.uk

Check out an article by Graham Snowdon published in the Guardian online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/may/24/workandcareers  Snowdon interviews Kim McDonald - an English taxidermist - and discusses the public's perceptions of taxidermy and the ethics and laws shaping the taxidermy trade. 

Apparently, illegal imports of wildlife into Britain is second only to drug smuggling.  Who would have guess?   Besides a look at the taxidermy ethics and quick a run down of taxidemic procedure, the article offers a glimpse of taxidermists' passion for their craft in the teeth of popular slurs:

"The problem with taxidermy is that the general public look upon you as a kind of a parasite," he says, bristling with indignation. "You go out, murder animals, so you can sell them to a macabre clientele who stick 'em on their walls and, you know, adore them. And people think that's all there is to it. Well it couldn't be further from the truth."

Read Melissa Milgrom's article "When a Polar Bear Needs a Pedicure" published in the Science section of The New York Times back in 2002.  Milgrom explores the Schwendeman's Taxidermy Studio in Milltown, established in 1921 and now in its third generation of Schwendemans.  The family philosophy is one of respect and intuition: ''You have to have a respect and intuition for the animal to bring out its best qualities.'' Taxidermy isn't just upholstery or model-making. ''Being a taxidermist is very idiosyncratic,'' Bruce Schwendeman said. But the desire to recreate life continues to occupy the human imagination. ''Morticians have it easy,'' he went on. ''Their patients only have to last a week. Sculptors can make a mistake and remelt it. We only have one shot. These are unique individuals and we cannot replace them.''

Read the whole article here +