毫无疑问,动物标本a controversial topic. To some, it is a cruel fate for an animal to be ogled as a stuffed curiosity. But today’s taxidermic practices are far from barbaric, and, in fact, taxidermy has great artistic and scientific value—master taxidermists prepare the animals to serve as specimens for the scientific and artistic communities to study. There’s no place more suitable to learn about the art of taxidermy than Deyrolle, a famed institution inParis’s Seventh Arrondissement, founded in 1831. It should be noted that Deyrolle has long been dedicated to maintaining a sustainable and responsible taxidermic business. For instance, the vast majority of the animals in its collection were not hunted and killed, rather, they died of natural causes in zoos and parks. It’s also the subject ofDeyrolle: A Parisian Cabinet of Curiosities($35, Flammarion/Rizzoli), a new book by Prince Louis Albert de Broglie, Deyrolle’s owner since 2001, which features hundreds of dazzling photographs of the shop and its collection by Francis Hammond.
The book covers not only the history of Deyrolle, from its early days as a haven for scientists to learn about biodiversity and artists to practice illustrating the animals to 2008’s devastating fire that destroyed much of the collection, but also the theory and day-to-day workings behind the institution’s practice. The best way to enjoy Deyrolle’s collection is, of course, to visit in person, but that being said, it’s an utter delight to peruse it via the glossy pages of this book—get a peek inside Deyrolle below.
