Carl Akeley

Carl Akeley, widely considered “the Father of Modern Taxidermy,” was not only a taxidermist, but also a naturalist, sculptor, writer and inventor. Over his long career he worked for several different museums, including the Field Museum, serving as Chief Taxidermist from 1896 to 1909. He made two expeditions to Africa for the Field to bring back specimens for the collections and for display. Most of his taxidermy is still on display in the hall of African mammals, Nature Walk, and the other mammal displays. A visionary and an obsessive artist, brought to his work, in the words of one colleague, a “quality of truthfulness, combined with [a] love of beauty of the animal form—beauty of hide, of muscle, of bone, of facial expressions.”   

Born on a farm near Clarendon, New York, Akeley said he was always more interested in taxidermy than farming. He was first exposed to taxidermy at an exhibit in Rochester that displayed 50 small mammals and birds preserved by interior designer and part-time taxidermist David Bruce. Akeley, 12 at the time, tried his own hand at preserving animals soon after. When a cousin’s canary died, he asked if he could “fix” the bird. He took it home and proceeded to skin and stuff it and then added glass beads from his mother’s sewing kit for eyes. His cousin was delighted. Taxidermy quickly became his obsession and for the next six years he taught himself as much as he could about the subject.      

At the age of 18, Akeley traveled to Brockport, New York to work for David Bruce under the condition that Bruce would allow him to practice taxidermy in his shop at night. Bruce hired him, but was so impressed with Akeley's skill at taxidermy that he suggested Akeley work for Professor Henry Ward at Ward’s Natural Science Establishment. Akeley took his mentor’s advice and traveled to the Establishment, bringing with him business cards he had made proclaiming his trade as “artistic taxidermy in all its branches.” Ward agreed to take Akeley on for $3.50 a week.