Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Walter Potter’s Taxidermy

English taxidermist Walter Potter stuffed people’s cherished pets for a living.

But he preferred to create anthropomorphic fairy tale scenes using rabbits, squirrels, and kittens made up to look like little people.



[Video link.] This 1960s era film shows museum curators dutifully dusting off his creepily charming tableaus, which were broken up and sold at auction in 2003.

Via BoingBoing
Wikipedia on Walter Potter (1835-1918)
Book: Walter Potter and His Museum of Curious Taxidermy

12 comments:

Super Villain said...

oh god! haha, this is horribly wonderful....if you like this you would love the movie "dinner for schmucks" where the guy recreats legendary artworks with taxadermy mice, and calls them mouseterpices

mouse a lisa
last supper with mice
vincent van mouse

hilarious! a must see movie
chiodo bros making taxadermy mouseterpices!

Anonymous said...

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The Art of Kim Kincaid said...

Eeew!

Aaron said...

Reminds me of some of the A.B. Frost etchings and watercolor pieces for Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories. Frost illustrated all of the plantation characters with a very realistic and lifelike style to them.

kat said...

OMG -- squirrels playing poker -- never thought I'd see that! Anyone game to render it in oils? Could be a big hit...

Damien Hirst doubtless was profoundly influenced by Mr Potter but didn't have Potter's patience.

The only thing that could save this from being thoroughly repellent would be if the critters had died naturally, but there is little chance of that.

yvonne said...

This is creepy! Not to mention all the animals that he killed to make them.

Chibi Janine said...

That's fascinating but also very creepy. Worst part is that my mind was wandering to the how he dispatched this poor critters. It also reminded me of a Scubs episode with the janitor and his stuffed squirrel army

Julia said...

I know people are saying animal cruelty and all that but still it is so sweet, I would love to sketch one of his dioramas someday xD

Francesco Gorni said...

He looks so close to Beatrix Potter: same subjects, same last name, only 30 yr of gap... anyone know if is there any relationship between them (can't find anything on internet)?

My Pen Name said...

off topic, but has everyone seen this bic pen vermeer....
http://www.notebookism.com/2010/04/bic-.html

No more complaints about not having the perfect pen, pencil, sketchbook, etc.

Cindy Skillman said...

This is nothing short of macabre. And I live in a house reminiscent of a hunting lodge. lol. But no one's dressed up like wee people.

SexyKPistol said...

I know this was created in the olden days (1960's) but I can't help but be utterly disgusted and scared out of my skin (no pun intended.) But specifically the kittens, I really don't want to think about..where he got so many. That was just too much for me. Thanks for showing us something different but part of me wishes I didn't see it, maybe I'm too easily frighten or bothered.