Melissa Milgrom

Well written & well reported but more than I really needed to know about the history of taxidermy and the world of contemporary taxidermists.

Often dismissed as morbid or kitsch, taxidermy is a world of intrepid hunter-explorers, eccentric naturalists, and gifted museum artisans, all devoted to the paradoxical pursuit of creating the illusion of life as documented in this quirky history.

Is it bad I'm distressed at myself because I can't remember exactly when I read this? Probably summer 2010, but this fed my fascination with taxidermy. Melissa Milgrom shows how taxidermy unites art and science, the macabre and the majestic.

Dips into the different facets of taxidermy: the British and American traditions, the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History, Victorian fads, kitcsch, and Damien Hirst. It's as much a cultural study of taxidermists as it is a history of the craft. Great for making you think deeper about the process and motivations behind “stuffing” [sic] animals. No pictures, crazily.