Virtuoso of Taxidermy

Location: Main building / Floor 2 / Second floor hall

Theodore Karlovich Lorenz is an outstanding Russian taxidermist and the founder of the Moscow school of scientific taxidermy.

Lorenz's father was a weaver who had three classes of education. Nevertheless, Theodore found his way to become an outstanding naturalist and preparator thanks to his passion for hunting, desire to preserve the trophies and a sincere interest in nature. The taxidermy firm founded by him on the cusp of the XIX-XX centuries was the best in Russia and became one the most important sources of scientific exhibits for major natural science museums in Europe and the USA. Having no education in biology, Lorenz made a significant contribution to Russian ornithology. He published more than 40 scientific papers on ornithology and described 10 new bird taxa.

T.K. Lorenz became widely recognized in 1872 at the Polytechnic Exhibition in Moscow, when fifty of his works were awarded a Gold medal. One of Lorenz's best students, F.Ye. Fedulov became the co-founder of the Darwin Museum. The masterfully executed taxidermy mounts placed in realistic landscapes and covered with a glass case, resemble the works of British taxidermists of the Victorian era. However, it is easy to recognize Lorenz's personal style. For the first time in a long time, the visitors of our museum will have a chance to admire these outstanding examples of taxidermy art at the "Virtuoso of Taxidermy" exhibition.

The exhibition features unique illustrations to T.K. Lorenz's work on the variability and hybridization of grouses. Lorenz spent 40 years studying these evolutionary processes. He scrupulously described each bird, mounted taxidermies from the best skins, photographed them using a special technique, and then hand-painted the images, accurately depicting the finest shades of plumage. These illustrations were supposed to adorn the work that never saw the light during T.K. Lorenz's lifetime. It was published by A.F. Kohts, the founder and first director of the Darwin Museum in 1910, in Vienna.

On the day of T.K. Lorentz's death, professor M.A. Menzbir wrote: "­Yes, he serves as an example to those who work in the modest field of taxidermy, clearly showing what they can do for science with due respect for it."

T. K. Lorenz, Director of the taxidermy workshop

Gallinago media (Latham,1787), before 1909

Tetrastes bonasia (L.,1758), before 1909

Lagopus lagopus (L.,1758), before 1909

Anas penelope (L.,1758), before 1909

T.K. Lorenz. "Grouse of Russia, their crossbreeds, deviations and variations", Vienna, 1910