Back in 1978 I became friends with Paul Schwarz Jr., one of the founding members of the NTA, which started in Missouri. He and I first met at a National Taxidermists Association convention in 1976 and we served on the NTA board together for three years. His father Frank Schwarz started the family studio in 1878. The Schwarz Studio is the oldest taxidermy studio in the United States. In 1994 we published an article on this famous family and institution located in St. Louis, Missouri. The studio is now for sale. News of this sale came when we were contacted by St. Louis realtor David Wright back in August, so I went into our archives thinking that now would be a good time to run that article again from Issue 38, 31 years ago. History never changes with time and this story of the Schwarz family and their historic studio is one young and old generations should hear again. This 31-year-old article, with a few updates and new photos we have acquired, will follow this introduction.

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It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Burke Edward “Eddie” Thompson, Jr. He passed peacefully surrounded by his loving family on June 25, 2025, at the age of 85. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

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Information has never been as accessible as it is now, and this will continue in ways we can’t imagine. People are always looking for the newest and latest information in any field where they work or have an interest in. Taxidermists are no different, and the fact that you are reading this article in Breakthrough attests to this. As we all started our journey into taxidermy, I started with a passion for the craft, and it appeared that taxidermy was moving into the world of art. To do that, we first learned and mastered the craft, then took the step into the art. We all wanted to gain knowledge and then to perfect this knowledge into the practical craft. What we needed was to gain knowledge; it’s essential to first distinguish between information and knowledge.

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Mountain quail are the largest quail species found in the United States. The bird’s average length is 26–28 cm (10–11 in), with a wingspan of 35–40 cm (14–16 in). Mountain quail have a unique characteristic of two straight feathers that arch over the back. These birds are easily recognized by their top knots, which are shorter in females. They have a brown face and heavily white-barred underside. Females display greater brown coloring on their dorsal side, a paler red on their undersides, and wider white barring on the flank than their male counterparts. Mountain quails lose the multi-color primary coverts on their wings as they age, and by 15 months old will only have solid-colored coverts. The mountain quail’s long head plume gives a clue to its attitude. When the plume is angled backward, the bird is typically relaxed, feeding, or resting. When the plume sticks straight up, the bird is agitated or alert.

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Scaled quail, also commonly called blue quail or cotton tops, are a species of the New World quail family. They are bluish-gray birds found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. These birds are named for the scaly appearance of their breasts and back feathers. Along with their scaly markings, the birds are easily identified by their white crests that resembles tufts of cotton. Adults are pale brownish with elegant dark scaling on the underparts. Their heads are plain brown with white accents on the crest. Their backs are bluish gray and their wings are brown stippled with buff white stripes. Juveniles are similar but have shorter crests, and the upper wing has a more ornate pattern.

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