The animals you see displayed at Warwickshire Museum are the result of taxidermy and the majority are of species that occur in the British Isles and, in particular, Warwickshire itself. Taxidermy is the art of preparing and mounting the skins of animals and producing a lifelike effect. The popularity of this practise increased during the Victorian period and the company of Peter Spicer & Sons, based in Leamington Spa, was regarded as one of the greatest British taxidermist firms.
Chosen by Royalty
In a business spanning the 19th and 20th Century, the main person who built the reputation of the company was Peter Spicer. Inspired by his father’s ability to create realistic glass eyes, Peter went one step further and recreated natural-looking animals, many set in beautifully made cases with artful dioramas. The trademark of his work is his signature on a pebble placed somewhere in the backdrop and the high quality of his work and acute attention to detail resulted in many high profile individuals, including royalty, buying his pieces. His two sons, William and Gilbert, continued to run his business until 1959.
How did Spicer and his contemporaries do it?
The animal’s skin would be removed and then treated with preservatives such as arsenic soap. A replacement body, or mannequin, would then be sculpted to support the skin and this could be made from all kinds of material, including plaster, wood wool, wires, newspaper, etc. Afterwards the skin would be placed over the mannequin.
Comments
Very interesting. Did Taxidermists suffer occupational poisoning from handling the arsenic soap?!
There is not much data, but there was a small investigation done into the longevity of historic taxidermists that found their average life span to be around 76, which for the time was quite good. The study didn’t, however, go into their health, only their lifespan. The link can be found here
Spicer actually lived to be 96 which is amazing! Is the museum open yet or still closed for refurbishment? I’d love to see the Spicer collection housed within and I believe there was also a mock up of the Spicer workshop?
Hi Patrick,
The museum is indeed still closed for refurbishment. It’s due to re-open in Autumn, I believe, but keep an eye on the blog page for further updates!
As an aside, as part of the refurbishment we no longer have the ‘Spicer Shop’, but you are very welcome to come and look at the Spicer collection if you book an appointment.
My Uncle Mr C.A. Merry 1892/1965 Worked for Spicers as a Taxidermist, and after Spicers closed he carried on this work at 29 Lime Avenue, Leamington Spa.
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