Taxidermy Restoration, Recasing and
Habitat Restoration
All work here is client commissioned work to either restore the habitat surrounding a piece of taxidermy, recasing a specimen or restoring/cleaning a specimen.
Every piece is bespoke and catered to the clients needs. No habitat restoration, taxidermy restoration/cleaning or recasing is the same.
If there is something you can't find here and want to find out more. Please do not hesitate to email taxtiles.taxidermy@gmail.com
Before and after of a restoration of a lesser black-backed seagull
This seagull needed some well overdue TLC. You can see in the before amd after shots how well this guy came out after a good clean. I also added eye rings and fixed his boots so they're in the right position.
Before and after of a restoration of an antique
barn owl.
This antique barn owl had a little accident and the glass smashed. So I was tasked with recasing it as well as modernising the surrounding perch. I found out this was preserved way back in 1902, while I was taking the paper mache rock apart to get to the owl. It was pretty nailed to it! Now it happily sits in its new dome (still antique).
Note: this is not my taxidermy but me recasing and remounted the specimen in another antique glass dome.
It’s also pre 1947 so no need for an A10.
Before and after of a restoration of a sparrow hawk.
Habitat was tired and faded so that was restored with new and brighter habitat. There was minor feather loss from moths and splitting above the ankle of the birds feet so that was fixed too and cleaned the feathers.
Re-painted around the eyes and above the beak. Also fumigated the specimen so it is protected from future pests.
Note: this is not my taxidermy but me restoring the specimen, fixing issues with the legs and restoring the habitst. it’s also pre 1947 so no need for an A10.
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Before and after of an antique tawny owl.
Very dusty cleaned specimen of heavy dust and dirt. Repositioned as the tawny owl was looking down due to a split in the neck/head of the skin which was fixed. Some of the tail feathers were bent so I steamed those back into place.
Also refeathered the specimen and repositioned the wood on the base to give a nicer composition. Also cleaned his feathers, eyes and inside of his beak. Currently being fumigated so it is protected from pests.
Note: this is not my taxidermy but me cleaning and doing a bit of conservation on the specimen, it’s also pre 1947 so no need for an A10.
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Before and after of an antique red squirrel.
Roughly dated around 1840 likely preserved by Lewis Hutton of Bristol (label was coated in heavy brown varnish so was hard to tell, but had the classic signs of the label). Client wanted the red squirrel to be in a brand new case with some of the habitat brightened but modernised. The case was made by Immortal Glass/Cases, with toughened glass so it is hard wearing. Base was coated in dark brown stain with a gloss finish.
Habitat elements were kept and hand painted individually to make the specimen "pop". Unfortunately, due to the age of the specimen and the condition it was in. When the red squirrel was taken out of the old case, there was a large amount of fur loss behind the specimen. I offered a new specimen as this was very bleached due to the sun and the pest damage. However, the client refused as it was sentimental value. As I couldn't restore the fur as the fur was precariously attached to the specimen. The compressed air from the airbrush would further increase fur loss. Additionally, the time it takes to restore the fur, would of been the same amount of time to mount a brand new specimen. So the creative solution was to cover the back of the specimen with the long grass from the original case, fumigated and recoloured, then repositioned to disguise the damage.
The outcome was successful and a happy client too.
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After
Before and after of an antique barn
Note: this is not my taxidermy but me cleaning and doing a bit of conservation on the specimen, it’s also pre 1947 so no need for an A10.