ALAMY
In 2003, some 6,000 extraordinary works of Victorian taxidermy were auctioned at Bonhams in London - the life’s work of one man, Walter Potter (1835-1918). !e vast collection of stuffed animals included several works of anthropomorphic tableaux - animals posed in detailed novelty scenes, as if they were tiny humans - which was a style of taxidermy popular in the late 19th century. !ese works, some carefully planned with cardboard figures until the correct animals were sourced, feature a host of curious spectacles - including a kitten wedding and police-rats raiding an illegal gambling den - and shed light on aspects of Victorian life, from fashion to education.
Potter had no formal training as a taxidermist, yet the distinctive and creative nature of his works has ensured their legacy. His collection went on public display in 1861, in a small museum in Bramber, West Sussex, run by Potter himself and later his daughter. Between 1972 and 2003, the collection moved several times, ending up at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, before its final auction.