Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy

Dips into the different facets of taxidermy: the British and American traditions, the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History, Victorian fads, kitcsch, and Damien Hirst. It's as much a cultural study of taxidermists as it is a history of the craft. Great for making you think deeper about the process and motivations behind “stuffing” [sic] animals. No pictures, crazily.

Oh, this was fun! Yep, a book about taxidermy was fun. Milgrom delves into the history of taxidermy, and takes us on a fascinating natural history adventure in the process. She also, at the end, mounts her own squirrel. There are journeys into reconstruction of extinct animals as well as forays into fine art. It's a delightful book, if you like that sort of thing. The writing is workmanlike, the storyline linear and clear. Nicely done.

Lisa V., you probably should steer clear.

This a fascinating book on a little know area of natural history. I took natural history dioramas for granted until I started reading this book. I really admired those who threw caution in the wind to take segments of dead animals and bring them "back to life." This also is a sad story of the complex relationship that taxidermists have with natural history museums. The stories behind the National History Museum (DC) and Mr. Potter's Museum of Curiosities broke my heart. Toward the end, the author faded by repeating phrases about is this journalism etc... but bypass that and just enjoy. A worthy read.

Is it bad I'm distressed at myself because I can't remember exactly when I read this? Probably summer 2010, but this fed my fascination with taxidermy. Melissa Milgrom shows how taxidermy unites art and science, the macabre and the majestic.

Still Life is a fascinating discussion of taxidermy. Milgrom examines the history of natural history museums, how humans can love something so much that we want to kill it and stuff it, and some truly fascinating real-life characters.
The book does get a little confusing, as the time line is Milgrom's personal journey rather than an ordered progression. The book would have been greatly enriched by photographs. I enjoyed it, but as a friend of mine suggested, it would have made an even better documentary.

this is the kind of quirky exploration of an offbeat subject that attracts me when browsing the library shelves. It didn't disappoint me and I learned the story behind the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History that fascinated me as a child and keep drawing me back there whenever I am in New York.

Well written & well reported but more than I really needed to know about the history of taxidermy and the world of contemporary taxidermists.