Get Stuffed! How Britain fell back in love with taxidermy

Taxidermy has hit the mainstream. Last week, Firebox started selling this Mouse Taxidermy Kit for just £29.99, meaning anyone can indulge in a bit of casual rodent preservation from the comfort of their own home. The accompanying book, written by Margot Magpie - teacher of the sell-out anthropomorphic taxidermy courses popping up all around London - details exactly how to create your own stuffed mouse in just four hours using traditional techniques. The kit includes everything you need, bar the mouse (obviously). A list of ethical UK suppliers is included, although city dwellers may very well have their own personal supply at home. 

It's definitely not for everyone, but I for one am delighted by this taxidermy revival. As with all trends, it seems to have garnered huge popularity in a very short space of time, but it hasn't, of course. Taxidermy has had its fair share of both popularity and disdain over the centuries, and thanks to a bevy of artists and designers who are using it as the basis of their work, it's experiencing a renaissance, the like of which hasn't been seen since Victorian times. 

Make this little guy with your Firebox kit

The word taxidermy comes from the Greek for 'arrangement of skins', and using that definition, it can be argued that caveman was the first practitioner. Ancient Egyptians went a step further with the mummification of animals, often much-loved pets who were sent to the afterlife to keep their humans company. Tanning and embalming were jumping-off points for true taxidermy, and techniques continued to develop throughout the ages, in particular in Europe. 

In the 1700s, French apothecary Jean-Baptiste Bécoeur created his arsenical soap, but the exact ingredients were a mystery until 30 years after his death. Taxidermist Louis Dufresne revealed them at the beginning of the 19th Century, revolutionising the practice and enabling taxidermy to move forward from the crude, stiff examples of the preceding centuries.

Portrait of John Hancock in his Studio by H.H. Emmerson (c.1890)

Fast-forward to the Great Exhibition of 1851, and we meet John Hancock, widely-regarded as the father of taxidermy as we know it. He displayed a series of preserved birds, and the public went wild. At last, these specimens were life-like and natural, moving one judge to remark that the exhibit "... will go far towards raising the art of taxidermy to a level with other arts which have hitherto held higher pretensions". And indeed it did.

Part of the diorama Rabbit School by Walter Potter (c.1888)

A few years later, Walter Potter's anthropomorphic taxidermy tableaux tapped into the rising popularity of this newly-minted art form. After Hancock's Crystal Palace exhibit, Victorian households of a certain social standing were filled with dead animals - even Queen Victoria herself had a collection - and Potter's dioramas had a whimsy and humour which broadened taxidermy's appeal. His ethos informs the work of many artists today.

CAT by David Shrigley (2007)

We've come a long way since the shock and outrage at Damien Hirst's first forays into taxidermy nearly 25 years ago (can you believe the pickled shark was made in 1991?). The art world has long been enchanted by taxidermy, and the past couple of decades especially have seen the emergence of many artists for whom it is a cornerstone of their practice.

One such artist is David Shrigley. His work has mass appeal - you'll have no doubt seen his drawings on greetings cards - because it is accessible and witty. He's a conceptual artist, however, so behind the jokes lie themes to make us think. Are we laughing at death when we look at his taxidermy animals, such as the cat above? Are we taking the piss out of a society that has started to anthropomorphise everything, from smoothie bottles to baby wipes? One thing is for sure - Shrigley owes much to Walter Potter's whimsy and techniques.

Likewise, jeweller Tessa Metcalfe's mice are clearly inspired by Potter's dioramas. Sadly for us, they're more of a personal project (she uses her father's roadkill!), so not available to buy. We can still have a good old gawk, though.

Head On by Cai Guo-Qiang (2006)

On a much grander scale, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang creates truly spectacular artworks using taxidermy. Head On, pictured above, features 99 stuffed wolves, careering towards a glass panel. From the same exhibition (Falling Back To Earth, currently showing at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art), check out Heritage. Wow. 

Vestige by Polly Morgan (2009)

For some, taxidermy seems cruel and unnecessary, particularly when the provenance of the animal corpses is unknown. British artist Polly Morgan, whose work is probably my favourite of all the taxidermy art around at the moment, uses only animals that are either found or donated. And just look what she does with them - so macabre and beautiful.

The Ladies by Jane Howarth (2007)

Jane Howarth's Bonne Bouche series of taxidermy seagulls replaces gory guts with pearls and kid gloves to startling effect. Her work has also filtered into the mainstream, having produced a line of homewares in collaboration with Luna & Curious a couple of years ago. 

Faux taxidermy unicorn head, £496, Rockett St George

Finally, if you love the look of taxidermy but not the actual process behind it, look no further than Rockett St George, who stock all manner of faux heads and trophies, including a unicorn. I'm also rather fond of Ruth Winding's faux taxidermy, in particular her swan. 

Are you a fan of taxidermy? Are you tempted to stuff your own mouse? And why do you think we've all gone mad for this age-old art form?

Further Reading:

• Walter Potter's Curious World of Taxidermy by Dr Pat Morris - A closer look at some of Potter's most renowned works, plus other pieces from his now-closed museum in Bramber, Sussex. 
• Taxidermy by Alexis Turner - An in-depth and fascinating study into how taxidermy got its groove back, with loads of gorgeous photos.
• Crappy Taxidermy. We're definitely in favour of promoting good practice in taxidermy, but it's a tricky craft and sometimes it goes terribly wrong.
• The Art of Taxidermy by Jane Eastoe - Lots of history, plus a journey through the contemporary art world, exploring artists using taxidermy today.