“A collection of bizarre stuffed animals including a unicorn, flying cat, yeti, and other curious creatures purportedly discovered by a Victorian adventurer are to be sold at auction.
The fictional menagerie of deceased critters also boasts an extended sausage dog, furry fish, mermaid and a bizarre bat-like winged beast with webbed feet.
They formed part of a museum of taxidermy that has closed and now are to go under the hammer.
They were billed in the 19th century as having been brought to the UK by fictional adventurer Professor Copperthwaite.
Some Victorians might even have believed these impossible creatures existed because some, like the Siamese sheep, were real.
Others such as the Jackalope – a nearly extinct antlered species of rabbit ‘found almost exclusively on the high plains of Wyoming’ – were not.”
Read more at The Telegraph (thanks, KirstyJ)
Is it wrong that I’m mainly concerned that the mermaid will be half a dead person?
Although I don’t agree with the idea of collecting taxidermy (sorry, Derren
) this looks quite interesting. Particularly curious about what the stuffed mermaid looks like.
Fabulous!!
I LOVED this museum in Brady on the Isle of Wight, I till have the souveneir book – how sad that it’s closed down…
My mum just called to let me know about the auction and I came straight here let everyone know – looks like I was beaten to the punch! Here’s a link to the auction catalogue: http://www.dukes-auctions.com/Catalogues/pf130410/page13.html
and, you can call 01305 257 544 to place a telephone bid, they’re currently @ about lot 200 (taxidermy starts @ lot 387).
Mum’s after the flying cat, I’m going to see whether my pauper’s bid will secure me the very gorgeous “Sid”, but lot 381′s pretty darn gorgeous too…
They were at the Brading Waxworks museum on the Isle of Wight (not a taxidermy museum). Many of us islanders are v sad to see the collection go tbh. I’d have bought the museum (a beautiful old house) and its collection if I was rich lol.
For those wanting more pics there’s a link to the right of the article on the telegraph page:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/7581448/The-Strange-World-of-Professor-Copperthwaite-bizarre-stuffed-animals-up-for-sale-at-auction.html
Some incredibly bizarre things there, but somewhat cool in a slightly creepy way nonetheless!
Want. So much want. Especially the winged cat and Sid the monster. Fuck, why is this not an online auction? I can hardly go phone Britain from work… :/
For those intregued by the “mermaid”, it’s not human-size, it’s listed as a figurine, but the picture is at http://is.gd/br1rs
the mermaid is a monkey…or half a monkey.
Brading Waxworks Museum… wow… that’s a trip down memory lane. If memory serves the mermaid was a halibut sewed onto the top half of a monkey!
Yep I visited this place when I was about 11, I also recall it had a siamese twin lamb in the same display. I think this is where my unhealthy obsession with freaky stuff in pickling jars and medical specimens originated. All good clean family fun!
BTW are they auctioning off the medieval torture instruments too?
amazing…a mask fethed £18500 and the shrunken head made by a friend of mine from a species of tamarin monkey fetched £2400 plus premium..thats over £3000!..for a monkey head,….wow!
flapjack, yes they did!
http://www.dukes-auctions.com/Catalogues/pf130410/page11.html
I REALLY want the web-footed vampire monkey bird.
Well, who wouldn’t ?
“Others such as the Jackalope – a nearly extinct antlered species of rabbit “found almost exclusively on the
high plains of Wyoming” – not true. it’s well documented that the Jackelope ranges all through the Southwest.
Oh god noooooo how can they close Brading wax works taxidermy section…i loved the place and went every year….even though i live on the mainland i am a caulkhead at heart….strange enough when i saw them being shown on the one show i thought they looked very familiar…what a sad loss….i really wanted to own the little cute mermaid monkey…remember him…he had a fish tail, monkey body and they attached long blonde hair to him and posed him so he was looking in a little mirror.
everyone’s missing the point – who on earth was evil enough to kill that unicorn? It has to have been Voldemort.
My friend bought the shrunken head!, he had it authenticated by a local museum, it still even had a south american newspaper dated 1931packed inside, ……I think “Robbo” must have been bidding on this one! LOL
I own a stuffed King Charles spaniel, which I’ve had for about 25 years. It was given to a local theatre for a jumble sale but they decided they din’t want it in the jumble, so it was being thrown out. I gave it a home, as it seemed wrong for it to be binned and it intrigued me. I assume it belonged to some old woman who had her much loved pet stuffed when it died, then it was discarded after she died,
It’s in excellent condition but I’d like to know if I can wipe the fur with a damp cloth.
I have no idea if such a stuffed dog has any value but I like it for just being such an odd thing.