Open Forum

I'm interested to know if there is conservation for taxidermy mounts.  Working on a Nature Center project where aging mounts of several mammals are a featured attraction in programming (e.g., Mt. Lion, bobcat, silver fox, ground squirrel, pine marten, skunk, badger).  Is cleaning/repair possible?  And is the cost for cleaning/repair less than replacing the mounts?  I appreciate any advise about conservation.  Thank you.

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Marcella Wells
Interpretive Planning and Evaluation Consultant
Wells Resources, Inc.
Fort Collins CO
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Marcella,

I understand that your question is about conservation of these aging mounts, however, there is an important caution about using older mounts for interpretative programming. Arsenic was sometimes used in the taxidermy process, and may remain in the mount.  Given the age of the mounts, it is unlikely that the Nature Center knows or can find out the taxidermy process used.

Thus, participants should not be permitted to touch them. The Outdoor Education Center at which I worked installed shelving above children's reach for their smaller mounts, and placed other exhibit items in front of the bear and mountain lion to keep participants at arm's length.

This caution should also be considered by anyone doing conservation on the mounts.

Mary Ann Gabriel

Collections Management Specialist

Parker, CO
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I know of two possible resources that may be helpful:

1.  Contact Scott Williams (exhibits director) at the Burpee Museum in Rockford, IL.  They recently suffered some substantial water damage and had several taxidermy specimens restored.  Scott may be able to point you toward those who did the restoration.

2.  Taxidermy.net is an online resource for taxidermists, but you do not have to be a taxidermist to participate in their forums.  Posting an inquiry there can tap into a large body of knowledge (I've had good success with this myself).

Good luck!

       Michael

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Michael Holland
Principal/Owner
Michael Holland Productions
Bozeman MT
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Check the blog at the American Museum of Natural History about their project to clean and repair taxidermy:

https://intheirtruecolors.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/renovation-of-the-bernard-family-hall-of-north-american-mammals-part-ii-unique-challenges-in-restoring-faded-taxidermy/

You can access it through the AMNH website as well.

Paisley

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Paisley S. Cato
Museum Services Consultant
Temecula CA
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Hi Marcella.

There is no one simple answer. If they aren't too old or ratty they can be carefully washed and touched up fairly easily. Once they start missing hair, claws, color etc then it becomes more complicated. Then replacement is cheaper. FWIW, I've worked on projects with arsenic-laden specimens that were properly and safely cleaned up for protected exhibition. That in and of itself doesn't end its life but will become a factor in the approach and cost.

Jonas Brothers in Broomfield is an excellent resource and has seen it all in the world of taxidermy. Without looking at the specific mounts there's no one direction.

Good luck!

Seth

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SethFrankel
Principal, Studio Tectonic
Boulder, Colorado USA
seth@studiotectonic.com
www.studiotectonic.com
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Taxidermists can usually repair worn out mounts. A cost estimate can determine whether it is worth the expense. We had a local taxidermists repair mounts (and improve them) at cost for non-profits. (He used it is as a tax write-off.)

Several taxidermists told me that arsenic is rare in mounts made after the 1880s. The museum I used to work at had mounts that dated to the 1870s and none tested positive for arsenic. But it is possible some taxidermists used arsenic later that others.

For hands-on program, animal pelts are probably better and certainly much less expensive to purchase.

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Alan Goldstein
Interpretive Naturalist
Falls of The Ohio State Park Interpretive Center
Clarksville IN
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Marcella,

I would suggest talking with Frank Zitz of Frank Zitz and Company. He has restored mounts for our clients and has created new mounts. His work is top rate and he understands animal anatomy very well. His website is: Frank J. Zitz & Company, Inc. Home Page

He created taxidermy Dire Wolves, Caribou and other animals for a Native American museum we designed, and most recently, he restored mounts for a state park visitor center for which we designed the exhibits.

Good luck.

Mike

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Michael Hanke
Exhibit Designer
Design Division, Inc.
Amherst MA
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