Behind the Scenes

Taxidermy

Many of the animal specimens exhibited in the Hall of North American Mammals were mounted using taxidermy techniques developed by Carl Ethan Akeley. Akeley, made famous as an inventor, sculptor, and explorer, is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to the field of modern taxidermy. At the turn of the 20th century, taxidermy was still at best an imprecise science: skins were often mounted on crude structures that didn't resemble the individual animal or were stuffed with organic materials such as straw to assume unrealistic poses. Even worse, due to imperfect hide processing techniques, many finished pieces soon began to show signs of wear and tear that made them unsuitable for exhibition.

Akeley's basic method of taxidermy, which he continued to refine over the course of his career, began with the construction of a wire and wood armature that often incorporated parts of the skeleton of the actual animal. Using measurements and sometimes molds of the specimen taken in the field, the next step was to construct a clay sculpture, to scale, of the animal over the armature. This sculpture could be made to accurately reflect specific aspects of the particular animal including its veins and musculature, and also to portray it in a life-like pose. A plaster mold was then made from the clay sculpture and subsequently a hollow papier mâché cast taken from the mold. The finished manikin cast produced from this process was both lightweight and durable. Finally, the prepared animal skin was attached to the manikin and other details such as the eyes, lips and nostrils could be completed during the finishing process.