Winter Lecture: Spectacular Dead Taxidermy

Dr John Troyer from the University of Bath explores how nineteenth century preservation technologies radically changed and mechanically altered the dead animal body as well as the human corpse, producing new kinds of taxidermy. These technologies of preservation effectively invented modern taxidermy transforming the dead animal into something new: energetically alive, always in nature, and uncannily human. Innovative taxidermy was also used by museums to turn preserved dead animals into a dead body that was atemporal and a well-suited subject for public display. Taxidermy can make any dead animal do the most amazing things – especially since the animals are dead and unable to resist human posing. Most importantly, taxidermy says far more about the human desire to anthropomorphise our animal cousins than most people realise.

Suitable for
16-17
18+


Website
www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/whats-on/winter-lecture-spectacular-dead-taxidermy/

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/sw000007?id=EVENT541707