Best natural history taxidermy dioramas

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Just a little thought experiment that I thought I'd try out.

The American Museum of Natural History has some of the best taxidermy dioramas in the world.

However, in the Asian Hall of Mammals many of these are disappointingly incomplete (no background paintings or landscaping etc) and have been for almost a century because the great depression of the 20's / 30's dried up funds to complete them.

Here are some examples of these unifinished dioramas at the museum from the zoochat gallery:

Now we are in hard financial times because of the pandemic and general economic climate, however , bear with me and think creatively for a minute.

What if it was hypothetically possible / feasible to find the funding and will to finish these dioramas ?

Take the case of Carl Akeley's unfinished (for 60 years) striped hyena diorama at the Chicago field museum which was completed in 2015 after an indiegogo campaign by a youtuber's channel that raised money to complete it :

So if it was possible (and granted that it is unlikely to be) should these historic dioramas at the AMNH be updated / finished in our current century (like the hyena diorama at the Chicago museum) by putting in background paintings and sprucing them up ?

What do you think ?



Photo credits to @twilighter and @Sarus Crane.

 

[nczoofan]

AMNH is currently focused on its 300 million dollar Gilder Center. Once that is complete I imagine they will continue with their renovations. Right now they are renovating the Hall of Gems and Hall of Northwest Indians. Hopefully the asian mammal hall can get the same treatment. It really is worn down in many spots, but for a few million it could be beautiful again (just like they did with the Hall of North American Mammals.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

AMNH is currently focused on its 300 million dollar Gilder Center. Once that is complete I imagine they will continue with their renovations. Right now they are renovating the Hall of Gems and Hall of Northwest Indians. Hopefully the asian mammal hall can get the same treatment. It really is worn down in many spots, but for a few million it could be beautiful again (just like they did with the Hall of North American Mammals.

But do you think that the unfinnished dioramas in the Hall of Asian Mammals could and should be updated and finished ? or would you say that it is best to leave these unfinished as unfinished historic displays ?

 

[Sarus Crane]

But do you think that the unfinnished dioramas in the Hall of Asian Mammals could and should be updated and finished ? or would you say that it is best to leave these unfinished as unfinished historic displays ?

If it were to be done I feel that the whole hall would have to have an extended renovation like how the Hall of North American Mammals did in 2011-2012 where they went in re-colored the specimens and repaired anything that needed some restoration work in the dioramas themselves. I had heard that the Asian Elephants underwent restoration in the 70's but the whole hall with its severely aged linoleum flooring and faded mounts are in serious need of a major restoration. It's my favorite hall in the museum for sure (African Mammals is a close 2nd). I think that it would be great if the background paintings were done, but it would cost a lot of money and right now the museum is focused on the Gilder Center, getting their Hall of Gems reopened and trying to get money flowing back in once the pandemic goes away.

Keep in mind too that before AMNH's exhibits department moved up to one of the higher floors where they still are today, the space where most of the mounts were done for multiple halls (African Mammals, North American, Milstein Ocean,) is what is now the Hall of Asian Mammals. The hall opened in November 1930 after multiple expeditions in the 20's of gathering specimens and collecting plants getting background paintings done, etc.... Here are some photos of the space from back then:

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

If it were to be done I feel that the whole hall would have to have an extended renovation like how the Hall of North American Mammals did in 2011-2012 where they went in re-colored the specimens and repaired anything that needed some restoration work in the dioramas themselves. I had heard that the Asian Elephants underwent restoration in the 70's but the whole hall with its severely aged linoleum flooring and faded mounts are in serious need of a major restoration. It's my favorite hall in the museum for sure (African Mammals is a close 2nd). I think that it would be great if the background paintings were done, but it would cost a lot of money and right now the museum is focused on the Gilder Center, getting their Hall of Gems reopened and trying to get money flowing back in once the pandemic goes away.

Keep in mind too that before AMNH's exhibits department moved up to one of the higher floors where they still are today, the space where most of the mounts were done for multiple halls (African Mammals, North American, Milstein Ocean,) is what is now the Hall of Asian Mammals. The hall opened in November 1930 after multiple expeditions in the 20's of gathering specimens and collecting plants getting background paintings done, etc.... Here are some photos of the space from back then:

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Thank you for your excellent post @Sarus Crane !

I love seeing those old photos of the creation of the taxidermy as there was such true artistry involved in this !

I suppose you are right about a whole extended renovation of the Asian Hall of Mammals being required and of course this would invariably cost a lot of money and now is hardly the time where any institution has money to spare for such things.

Out of curiosity which faded specimens in this hall are in need of restoration in your opinion ?

The only one from memory that looked very faded and haggard to me were the Bengal tigers but I visited a long time ago (2010) so my memory of the dioramas in detail (apart from a few which really stuck with me) is not great.

As I said in my last comment in this thread I would really like to see the unfinished dioramas completed in a way similar to what was done with the striped hyenas in the Chicago Field Museum (something very satisfying about a diorama which has been neglected for 60 odd years getting finally finished).

I think a remodellation of some of the uncompleted dioramas would be an especially pertinent and valuable development considering that some of the species in these displays such as the Asiatic lions and Sumatran rhinos are enormously iconic species that have declined to near extinction in the wild.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Some of you might find interesting some of the recent tour videos from the American Museum of Natural History about their dioramas:

 

[Elephas Maximus]

Some of you might find interesting some of the recent tour videos from the American Museum of Natural History about their dioramas:

The standing bear has been photoshopped into dandelion field.

I also seen a picture of Los Angeles natural history museum's elephant diorama used to illustrate living animals.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

The standing bear has been photoshopped into dandelion field.

I also seen a picture of Los Angeles natural history museum's elephant diorama used to illustrate living animals.

Thanks for sharing @Elephas Maximus !

I suppose that the fact that the elephant taxidermy diorama of LA was included as an illustration of living animals is a testament to how good the diorama is.

 

[Elephas Maximus]

Still the bull looks weird, the trunk base is too narrow for a mature tusker.
Here is a Russian biology textbook with this picture (along with erroneously placed fruit bat as echolocating animal). Also it's used to illustrate living elephants all over the internet, mainly at wallpaper sites.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Still the bull looks weird, the trunk base is too narrow for a mature tusker.
Here is a Russian biology textbook with this picture (along with erroneously placed fruit bat as echolocating animal). Also it's used to illustrate living elephants all over the internet, mainly at wallpaper sites.

Yes, I agree, its quite strange that it was chosen as the illustration considering that there are so many photos online that were taken of live elephants at waterholes.

Perhaps the sense of drama of the diorama caught the editors eyes ?