Modern taxidermy : mounting the Indian elephant
Scope and Contents
This film opens with footage taken from Jungle Life in India, showing the Indian elephant in his natural habitat and Arthur Stannard Vernay, John Champion Faunthorpe, and Louis Jonas, all members of the Faunthorpe-Vernay Indian Expedition, marching through the jungle with their native staff. Then, in a studio at the AMNH, the mounting of the elephant takes place. This film is an interesting and valuable record of museum methods. Louis Jonas, museum taxidermist and Carl Akeley's student, mounts the Indian elephant for the Hall of Asiatic Mammals by using the method invented and perfected by Carl Akeley. Each step, from soaking and tanning the skin to modeling, constructing the mannequin and clothing it with skin, is portrayed. This method differs slightly from the usual Akeley method in that the skin is laid over the wet plaster and worked in. After it has dried it is then reinforced from the inside with papier mache.
Dates
- 1926-1927
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Not available through interlibrary loan. Contact AMNH Library Special Collections for terms of access.
Extent
1 Film Reel (15 minutes) : silent, black and white ; 16 mm.
1 Videocassette (U-Matic (15 minutes)) : silent, black and white ; 3/4 in.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
3/4 in., U-Matic, viewing copy
General
Original format: 16 mm. print.
General
http://libcat1.amnh.org/record=b1140208
- Title
- Modern taxidermy : mounting the Indian elephant, 1926-1927
- Author
- Iris Lee
- Date
- 2018
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Research Library Special Collections Repository
American Museum of Natural History
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