Event 2: Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

The natural history museum of Los Angeles is one of the few institutions in the country that has continuously staffed a taxidermy department, going back to the introduction of habitat halls in the 1920s. While most museums glassed and sealed their dioramas after completion, the natural history museum kept their open. 

When I entering the African Hall of Mammals, I feel all dioramas at the natural history museum depict a real place. Approaching a family of elephants on the savannah, the tour guide explained that this was not an idealized vista conceived by an artist, but a recreation of an actual waterhole near the Tana River in Kenya. This is the result of an expedition into the wild with a team of scientists, biologists, taxidermists.

Unlike zoos and aquarium, natural history museums are able to show the public unique behaviors or interactions between species that they would not see in captivity. Diorama environments often incorporate hundreds of small animals and insects in addition to the larger mammals who star in the scene. These frozen moments tells a complex story about life in the wild.

The Cougar diorama in the North American Hall of Mammals seems to depict a tranquil family scene. Another and her cubs play on the rocks while the father watches from above. Unfortunately, there is conflict between art and science. Cougars are extremely solitary and territorial creatures that meet only to mate. If a father came across a mother and her cubs, he would likely kill them all.

Combining art and science, the taxidermists at the natural history museum apply their skills and love of nature to create lasting masterworks. By providing the public with immersive experiences, natural environments, they hope to foster wander, curiosity and respect for the natural world.