Member-only story
They Killed’em, He Filled’em, I Helped
What it was like to work for a Taxidermist; I got to see a lot of animals from the inside out.
For about a year I was an assistant to a taxidermist. That was as long as my heart and soul were mesmerized by the process of helping to make taxidermy mounts. It was a given that over time the indignity of what was being done to these noble creatures with souls and presence would outweigh my fascination.
“Arms straight out and stiff, hands grasping the neck of closed pillow cases; it was not unusual for grown men to come into the shop with live rattlesnakes….”
NOTE: This is not an anti-hunting piece, nor is it meant to disrespect hunters or taxidermists. I got to see and handle hundreds of native animals up close. The work done by the taxidermist was almost always respectful and done to preserve the dignity and inherent beauty of the animal.
How I Began Working with the Taxidermist and Learned to Paint Fish
I worked for a taxidermist when I was a much younger person, during the second half of many years spent in private art colleges.
