Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-18
animal MOUNTING
NOW WORK Of ART
Taxidermists at the Nationa,
Museum Must Also Be
ScuIptors.
MODELS MADE OF PLASTER

OF the 100000 or more persons who
visit the animal exhibits of the Ma
tional Museum annually, it is doubtful
if many of them know that skins OF
the larger mammals are mounted on
"mannikins' of reinforced plaster, and
not on covered wooden forms. or. as
of old, simply stuffed with excelsior
cotton, hair or savdust-
Nowadays taIidermists are sculptors,
and not upholsterers. All modern taxi
dermists, in their treatment of the
larger mammals at least. and particu-
larly those of the National Museum
who were among the pioneers in this
art, construct 1ife-sized, hollow plaster
figures, which. prove not only light
and durable, but far more realistic than
those produced by the older methods.
Bones Sometimes Used.
After the skin has been cleaned and
tanned it is turned over to the taxi
dermist together with the skull, and
whatever other bones may have been
preserved. Sometimes he has no bones
or live material to study. but has to
measure the skin and calculate his di-
mensions as best he can. relying on
life casts, photographs or field meas
urements and notes made by the col
lector. and his own knowledge of anat-
omy Ii he is not familiar with the
animal to be mounted the museum
taxidermist studies the live animal
at the National Geological Park, when
possible, and then models clay minia-
lures, often trying out several poses.
one of which is selected and approved
by the biologists. He then begins
his full-sized clay model
Some taxidermists believe in utiliz-
ing certain bones. particularly the
skull leg bones and the backbone, IN
building frame work for model,
while others measure the bones and
make the frame work out OF iron rods
and pieces of board. In any event. a
rough frame work is constructed. with
either iron rods or bones. and to this
the modelling clay is applied. The taxi
derrnist now works much as does
sculptor. adding clay here and remoV-
| ing II there smoothing out the juno
lures until he rounds out an anatomical
model. Great care is taken to repro
; duce accurately all joints. muscles and
hollows.
Having completed his clay model. he
/, is now ready to construct the mold
around il. This mold is cast of plaster
of-paria, and constructed iii several
sections, each one reinforced with rods
to keep it from varying or falling
apart. In making the figure of a Fir-
! ginia deer. for example, a mold of from
| II to II pieces an inch in thickness
would be utilized in the museum shops.
| The main section. or foundation. of this
mold covers all the underparts of the
/ animals body. and the inside of the
| legs. Other pieces form the outside
J of each leg, still others it's back, the
| top of it's neck and head, and event
: ually the whole animal is boxed in. In
| the construction of the separate pieces
! strips of tin. thin walls of clay, are
| placed along the intersections. which
I IA l.
! fore the adjoining sections are cast,
| The plaster is applied In the ordinary
! manner. about an incn thick. and when
! it is thoroughly set the separations are
! opened and the pieces are taken off the
| clay model. which is destroyed. The
/ inside of each piece is retouched where
| necessary with fresh plaster, and
| smoothed W on the edges until they
| At together.
Making of the "Manikin."
The next step is the making of the
| ''manikin'' on the inside of the mold
just completed. 1t is not cast solid, or
J in one piece. but built up In thin sec
tons, one each on every piece of the
mold. it's outer lines conforming ex-
, actly with those of its mold. Begin
ming. for example. with section Of
the back mold. the museum taxider-
! mist cuts out piece OF sneeting to lit
| the section. FASTING 1T into the mold
| with -four or glue, so that 1t fits into
every impression. which is necessary,
since the inside will eventually be the
outside of the finished form. In the
manufacture of figures Of smooth
haired animals requiring a smooth ex-
terror heavy sheeting is employed. but
in some Of the long-haired animals,
such as the bear. coarse burlap may be
used. A thin wash Of plaster is put on
the FIRST layer of cloth and then two
sections of burlap immersed in plaster
are applied, resulting In thin shell
from u to " of an inch in thickness.
Sometimes wirecioth Is used in the
| place of burlap. This process is fol-
+! lowed in making each piece Of the fig-
ure When all are set. the newly made
sections Of the figure are moistened to
dissolve the paste or glue mentioned
| above and removed from their molds.
| Pieces Fitted Together.
The various pieces are now fitted to-
xether and cemented with moro plaster.
the seams being backed up from tho
Inside by pieces OF burlap dipped in
plaster. As the assembling proceeds,
hbracss of wood are placed within fer