Taxidermy mounts are challenging composite artifacts susceptible to damage from both environmental and biological factors. Whether a single trophy mount graces your historic home, several form a diorama in your museum, or you have a collection of natural science specimens, knowing
Taxidermy mounts are challenging composite artifacts susceptible to damage from both environmental and biological factors. Whether a single trophy mount graces your historic home, several form a diorama in your museum, or you have a collection of natural science specimens, knowing how mounts are made, how they deteriorate and how to care for them is essential for their preservation. This webinar is an introduction to the care of taxidermy by a master taxidermist and an objects conservator. The presentation will cover what to look for in a mount to help determine its manner of construction and perhaps it’s age, how mounts typically deteriorate over time and how to provide proper preventive care. If refurbishment is necessary, taxidermists and conservators often have differing approaches and the presenters will describe what to expect from the process. Health and safety concerns in dealing with older mounts will also be covered.
George Dante, Founder, Wildlife Preservations, has more than 30 years of experience as a taxidermist, model maker, illustrator and fine artist. He has been an artist and naturalist his entire life and formed Wildlife Preservations while in high school. George continued to develop his company while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York and today the company is a world-class provider of natural history exhibit services. In addition to being the recipient of numerous awards, George is also an NTA certified judge and instructor with several publications in his field. His clients include some of the most prestigious institutions and organizations in the world, such as the American Museum of Natural History, The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, National Geographic, Oxford University and more.
Eugenie Milroy is a Professional Associate member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) with over 20 years of museum and conservation experience. She has worked at the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, among other institutions. Eugenie’s objects conservation experience ranges from natural history to archaeological and ethnographic to modern collections. Eugenie is on the steering committee as well as the Heritage Response Team of the Alliance for Response NYC, which connects emergency responders with representatives of the cultural heritage comm