Project Description: Taxidermy before 1850

Project coordination: Dorothee Fischer

Contributors: Emilie Drees, Florian Huber

Taxidermied fish, Diodon hystrix (BLOCH, 1785), Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (ZMB 6812). Photo: Dorothee Fischer (2022).

The workshop Taxidermy before 1850 – Theory and Practice will bring together researchers and practitioners in Trier (and via Zoom) on the 30 June and 1 July 2022.

The interdisciplinary workshop’s aim is to focus on early taxidermy techniques in order to answer the following questions: How can premodern preparations be located between natural history interest and artistic craft? Who were the taxidermists? Who were the collectors? What knowledge do contemporary instructions convey? How do the procedures differ specifically from those of subsequent centuries? What do these objects say about the respective human-animal relationships?
In this two-days-event we want to interweave theory and practise both in the academic lectures and in the programme itself: In addition to three main panels, under the heading „Preparation in practice today“ a taxidermist from Trier is giving insights into his practise.

Guests are warmly welcome. Please register via Mail.

For information please download the programme:

Funded by TriGUT of the Graduiertenwerk der Universität Trier (Graduate Center, Trier University)

Contact: Dorothee Fischer