Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-19
TAXIDERMIST IS
EXPERT SCULPTOR.
Has to Build Plaster Manikin in
Mounting Skins of the
Larger Animals.
DOES NOT USE FRAMEWORK

mammals are mounted "manikins OF
reinforced plaster, and not on COW
cred wooden forms, or, as OF old,
simply stuffed with excelsior, cotton,
hair or sawdust.
Nowadays taxidermists are sculp-
tors and not upholsterers. All mod
ern taxidermists-in their treatment OF
the larger mammals at least--and par
ticulariy those OF the National mt
scum, who were among the pioneers
in this art, construct life-sized hollow
plaster figures which prove not only
light and durable, but far more realis-
tic than those produced by the older
methods. t-H
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
dimensions as best he can, relying on
life casts, photographs or field meas
urements and notes made by the col
,cctor, and his own knowledge OF
anatomy. 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 a 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,
rough frame work is constructed, with
either iron rods or bones, and TO this
the modelling clay is applied. The taxi
dermist now works much as does
sculptor, adding clay here and remov-
ing it there, smoothing out the juno
lures, until he rounds out an anato-
mical model. Great care is taken to
reproduce accurately all joints, mus
cles and hollows.
Having completed his clay model,
he is now ready to construct the
mould around it. This mould is cast
Of plaster-of-paris. and constructed in
several sections. each one reinforced
with rods to keep it from varying or
falling apart. In making the figure OF
a Virginia deer, for example, mould
Of from twelve to fourteen pieces an
inch in thickness, would be utilized in
the museum shops. The main section,
or foundation, OF this mould covers all
the underparts OF the animals body,
and the inside Of the legs. Other pieces
form the outside OF each leg, still 9TH
ers its back, the top OF its neck and
head, and eventually the whole animal
lis boxed in. In the construction OF the
separate pieces, strips Of tin. or thin
walls OF clay, are placed along the in
tersections, which are trimmed on the
bcvel and oiled before the adjoining
sections are cast The plaster is ap-
piled in the ordinary manner, about
an inch thick, and when il is thor
oughly 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 nee
essary with fresh plaster, and
smoothcd up on the edges, until they
fit together.
The next step is the making Of the
'manikin" on the inside Of the mould
just completed. II is not cast solid,
or in ore piece, but built up in thin
sections. one each on every piece OF
the mould, its outer lines conforming
exactly with those OF its mould. Be-
ginning for example, with section OF
the back mould, the museum taxider-
mist cuts out piece OF sheeting to fit
the section, FASTING it into the mould
with flour or glue, SO that it 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 quarter to three -eighths
of an inch in thickness. Sometimes
wire-cloth is used in the place of bur-
lap. This process is followed in max
ing each piece Of the figure. When all
are set, the newly made sections Of the
Inquire are moistened to dissolve the
paste or glue mentioned above, and
removed from the moulds.
The various pieces are now fitted to.
gcther and cemented with more plas.
ter, the seams being backed up from
the inside by pieces OF burlap dipped
in plaster. AS the assembling proceeds
braces of wood are placed within for
reinforcement. All the pieces are fas-
tened together. except small section.
usually on top of one hip, left for
hand hole, through which the last
piece is fixed, and air is admitted for
drying out. A wire tail wrapped in
hemp is made and fastened inside
through this opening. Considerable
retouching and coat of shellac are
necessary before the skin is put on and
stuck fast with glue or shellac. All
skins are poisoned to keep out insects
With hornless animals, the skin Of
the head is simply pulled over the
assembled form and sewed neatly
where it is cut, but when the horns
are included, they are left attached TO
the crown Of the skull, which is sawed
OH and slipped through "Y" cut in
the skin Of the head. where it is at
tached by screws TO block of wood
set in the top Of the head.
All cuts and seams are now sewed
together. and the hoofs or claws are
modelled or filled out with clay where
they join the legs. Glass eyes are also
set into their sockets with clay. so