Before deciding to offer a World Title for habitats, I gave a lot of consideration into the importance that habitats have played for moving into our modern era of taxidermy. My first thought was that habitats have had a strong position in taxidermy for well over a hundred years. Look back at our historic museums with dioramas full of natural looking habitats during the end and after the turn of the 19th century. Framed and glass-dome displays were part of home decor in Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and that practice was soon adopted in the USA. The large commercial studios in the United States used habitats with their taxidermy starting in the early 1900s, especially with the growth and popularity of African safaris. When the renaissance of today’s modern taxidermy took off after the 1960s, the use of habitats in taxidermy compositions blossomed into the gamerooms and unbelievable competition pieces we see today.
To renew or subscribe, visit www.breakthroughmagazine.com, or call (985) 345-7266 or 800-783-7266.