Two years sculpting foam and clay. Weeks casting heads and hands, toes and tongues. Thousands upon thousands of tiny stitches. These tasks and many more transformed 274 mammal specimens into the inspiring display now on view in the new mammal hall on the first floor of the Museum.

Led by John Matthews, the award-winning taxidermy team renovated historic specimens and mounted specimens donated by zoos and research facilities from around the world. Each animal reflects the collaboration of museum curators, exhibit designers, and taxidermists to determine an accurate and aesthetic pose.

Because primates are rarely mounted and commercially available forms did not suit the required pose, the team needed to build the entire supporting forms themselves—a huge collaborative effort that resulted in one of the most striking specimens in the hall....Read The Rest Of This Story