The Art & Heritage
Enter The Velvet Drawing Room
Look through the glass
Stay for the stories
The Velvet Drawing Room looks through the glass to see that Victorian taxidermy is about far more than dead animals in glass cases.
Victorian taxidermy is found at the end of a cultural path that is littered with the stories of the pursuit of enlightenment in the 19th Century.
Whether you’re interested in Victorian history, researching the work of specific Victorian taxidermists, deciding what to collect, or looking for inspiration for your home decor, this is a place to wander, and be inspired.
BEFORE THE GLASS
The stories at The Velvet Drawing Room begin with the world as it was before animals were put behind glass.
A WORLD BUILT ON WONDER
From the private Wunderkammers and Cabinets of Curiosities of the 1600s to the immense attractions of the World Expos of the 1800s and the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Victorian world was built on wonder.
BIRTH OF THE EARLY MENAGERIE, CIRCUS AND ZOO
Here you can explore the stories of the earliest menageries, the birth of the modern zoo and the circus from Henry 1st to The Tower of London, the Victorian animal dealers and the birth of the Zoological Society of London.
THE ERA OF COLONIAL EXPLORERS AND NATURALISTS
We see the indelible influence of Audubon, Darwin, and Gould that drove the 19th Century pursuit for natural history collecting.
Follow the stories of the journeys of colonial explorers and hunters as they travelled the globe in sailing ships, and step inside some of the experiences of the gentlemen collectors from Britain’s upper echelons who shaped the era’s tastes.
VICTORIAN TAXIDERMY
Original research uncovers the lives, techniques, rivalries, and hidden histories of the people who defined Victorian taxidermy.
STORIES AND MASTERPIECES
In truth, Victorian taxidermy in the 19th Century has two stories, the first is about how the animal came to be behind the glass, and the other story is about the Victorian Taxidermist whose hands shaped it.
Many of these Victorian Taxidermists have personal stories that have never been known before, but through careful research and scrutiny of newly-available historic records these stories now have their own voice.
THE VICTORIAN TAXIDERMISTS INDEX
Discover the leading Victorian taxidermy firms. Explore their masterpieces, their distinctive styles, their beautiful cases, with their labels that are small works of art in their own right.
TAXIDERMY TODAY
Taxidermy is still alive today – in collections, conservation, restoration, and in the contemporary appreciation and enduring influence it has in the world of art, fashion, and interior design.
A NEW ROMANCE
After taxidermy’s divorce from social fashion in the mid‑1900s, there’s a new romance.
Victorian taxidermy now inspires collectors, artists, museums, and conservators around the world.
FASHION, INTERIOR DESIGN AND HIGH DRAMA
The fashion world has embraced it – from Alexander McQueen to Schiaparelli.
Interior designers are drawn to its high‑class, dramatic presence and its ability to transform a room.
Luxury websites now serve as the shop windows for the limited number of surviving Victorian cases, while auction houses are alive with global bidders chasing the ultimate find.
