Examples of Victorian Taxidermist Henry James Burton

Two Wild Cats by Walter Burton F.Z.S.

My mantra for collecting is “love it first, then ask questions” and this is what happened to me with these cats. I saw them at auction, knew I wanted them, then did the research on them which consolidated my first reaction  –  I love them!

The two wild cats by Walter Burton FZS, Naturalist & Taxidermist, are most likely to be dated between 1895-1910.

In his book “A History of British Taxidermy” Christopher Frost asserts that Burton’s ground work was considered particularly good.  I think the composition and the groundwork in these cases are a testament to that statement. The composition is what drew me to these cases and that the fact that I have never seen another single case nor a pair like this before.

The label on the back of one of the cases shows that it was Walter Burton who created them, and we know that Walter took full control of the business after his father, Henry James Burton, died in 1895.

The Kelly’s London Trade Directory then shows the company listed under Walter Burton’s single name at Wardour Street in 1899. Walter ended the business by 1911 at the latest, and he died in 1913.

If we didn’t have these facts, then alternatively you can approximately usually know the general period that a case was made by the postcode on the label which just says “London W” in this case.  Numbers were not added to postcodes until 1917.

Summer Fire screen by Henry James Burton & Son

Examples of Victorian Taxidermist Henry James Burton

In this example of Henry James Burton’s work we see a summer fire screen made in London during the 2^nd half of the 19^th century filled with exotic birds (photo courtesy of Zebregs&Roell Art & Antiques).

Examples of Victorian Taxidermist Henry James Burton

Cased Pacific Black Duck & Blue-Billed Teald

This case was sold at Tennants UK in 2022 as part of the James Harris Collection. Description courtesy of Tennants

Dated 1891, Australia, by Henry James Burton, 191 Wardour Street, London, a high quality case containing a Pacific Black Duck a Blue-billed Teal in natural setting of tall grasses and reeds bearing label to interior lower left – Australian Wild Duck (Black Duck), Anas superciliosa, Australian Teal (Red-breasted Duck), Anas punctata, Shot in the Colony of Victoria in 1891, by T. Parkin.