The Wingham Advance Times, 1926-10-14, Page 8tx
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4, ,9
he Work of the Taxidermist Combines Var-
ious Arts - The Mounter Must Be
Sculptor and Artist -- How the
Displays Are Made.
' By FRANKLIN JOHNSON
OUNTING birds and ani- used: as the'base for the subsequent
mounting:, of the ,skin, The skilled
craftsmanshipof the new -school
artisan '_produces an exhibition
model that is faithful to nature,
and in sharp contrast with the
wooden -image type of effigy which
once passed muster with museum
audiences.
Artistic Perception Demanded
To achieve these results the
worker is not only sculptor and
taxidermist,' but the exacting na-
ture of his profession requires that
hp 'shall be many other things in
addition. Herntust have theartis-
ticperception of the painter, the
veterinarian's knowledge of anat-
omy, the analytical instinct of . the
naturalist,. and a complete. knowl-
edge of the mysteries of tanning
and preserving skins without dam-
age to their • appearance. With
these things he 'must blend a ca-
pacity for minute dovetailing of
every process involved in.prepar-
ing 'his specimens for the exhibi-
tion room. •
As received by the taxidermist in
the great `National Museum at.
vyashington,a skin is dry,' harsh
wrinkled and unpromising. ' The
first step in its treatment is to'trim
awayall pieces of flesh, muscle
and sinew that may be found ad-
hering to the hide itself. ' The pelt
is then moistened In water and a
bit`o'Poil is sprinkled- over its sur-
face to t:eplace the natural oils of
the''tiody'.'.
The next sten is a vigorous
S
male ter display purposes
is no longer a simple gnat-
ter ef'etuffing.the ,'skins in
the same way ''that a workman
Would fill the upholstery of a
chair with cotton, hair, sawdust or
excelsior. : The old-time practice
' Yiae given way to; scientific taxi-
dermy which brings a realism un-
known to the animal sufferers of
a.. previous generation. Today's
specimens are prepared by meth-
ods which constitute a distinct art,
highly specialized in scope and ex-
ecution, .
The up-to-date taxidermist is a
eeulptor as well•as an artisan. He
must` know how to model •his sPeci-
mens:. with faithful regard to' nat-
ural appearance. `.In • this way he
eliminates the haphazard<method's
'that produced., creatures- unlike
anything ever..beheld ori land or
sea: The artificial' effects created
by former' procedure evolved speci-,
mens which :'.would not have been
'recognized by .'their. own .flesh and
blood. Today's . taxidermy' would
fool .any of them,.' because of the
artistic" touches• contributed .by
scientific development.
Instead of. stuffing • a specimen,
until the skin is filled out to its
utmost capacity, without regard to
fidelity of outline, the skilled work-
er ofloday' starts his undertaking
by creating a sculpture: in' plaster
of "paris. With, close .,attention 'to,
anatomy, the tax#'deiniist proceeds'
to fern'. an accurate' life-sized. fig-
ure in hello* 'plaster, and this Is
course of massage.: 'To accomplish
lr
No other : town , in• .all: the
world;possesses ;a, church
whose"tombs •are' guarded' by
long lines of. bronze warriors',;
clad in full' armor, ' This in
teresting Franciscan church,
o Hof-iiirche,.belongs,:as its
name indicates, ;to ,the royal
court .of. Bof, and `was built
•as the memorial tomb 'of the
'great emperor; Maximilian 1.
One of his sons' was the pow
erful Charles V, whose pas-
sessions were; so vast•that die
gave all of Austria to his
brother, Ferdinand; and it
" that Ferdinand . who
built"type, memorial
LI LA.N HAYDEN HIESTON
INNSBRUCK
is one of the
healthiest towns In Europe. 'It
15 completely sheltered from the
earth by, the high . mouritalns,
1ts`,winter air is very dry and there`
isr,a great deal of sunshine. People
are often been; sitting by open win-•
d'iows.. when' the thermometer reg-
asters 'many, .degrees below freez-
Ing,, but the drynese and sunshine'
Make one feel warm rather than
cold,
' The river Inn, from which the
town takes its name, rushes `down
from the. Engadine. and flows on
t;
,.owards the Danube,anube, but here at
Innsbruck widens and becomes
more tranqull in its flow, possibly
enamoured of the smiling valley
cinder the overban.ging crags and
pea•ks of • the 13a.varian Alps: The
town is very.' important as :being'
the glace of junction of tile two
>It
read, :railroad Lines,' Berlin -Rome
end Vienna•Pa,eis. They cross
here. In very ancient times, even
before the Roman decubattgn, this
ortattt tradln
was an im g
place p
t -fair, ::
post and yearlyMat ar lea t The
natives Were celebrated for their binravery a
nd o
race sang
varC re e -“The Alpine eRirhSekeitlil
r
long uneria.tched en fight,"
o g .
". h
;i'thaotia lass Inc.. name by whit
Rothe called- the settieitient. The
'ontaris made" of Khis tows an eft-
c:kie.nge-etati
on on the road, froth
Italy a ' to Central e. The my
Europe,
habitants snit 'show; the influence
"Of Italy, Thee a ,re far Mare. 1'
et -
ti* tis end teed of beauty' than more
rt rtberl't ,Geri me Winch More
kotionell and ifkterma, rnore at.
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