ABSTRACT
In late nineteenth and early twentieth century museums, biological classification was the prevailing mode by which taxidermy specimens were displayed and interpreted for museum audiences. Early encyclopaedic displays embodied the understanding of nature through popular taxonomy, while at the same time, affirming the cultural and intellectual capital of museum custodians. However, today taxidermy specimens are presented in many contemporary museums thematically, the serried ranks of previous years reconfigured in order to produce more dynamic displays for the public. Although the use of taxidermy specimens in research requires that biological classification continues to govern their intrinsic meaning and value, in the public spaces of contemporary museums taxidermy serves a variety of different representational purposes. This chapter will explore some of the ways in which curatorial practices concerning the organisation and display of taxidermy have developed over roughly the last sixty years in regional museums in the North of England. In particular, it will consider how the access and inclusion agenda has impacted upon the use of taxidermy in public-facing museum spaces, as well as in other, unseen spaces of contemporary museums. To illustrate the ideas that will be explored in this chapter, case study examples from three museums located in Northern England, Leeds City Museum, the Hancock Museum (now named the Great North Museum: Hancock) and Sheffield City Museum, (now named Western Park Museum) will be used. These case studies are significant since all three museums have recently been redeveloped, and therefore their displays and classificatory activities are indicative of contemporary trends in museology. Furthermore, due to their relatively new status, these museums remain underexplored and are ripe for critical assessment.
