Carl Akeley

Carl Ethan Akeley (May 19, 1864 – November 17, 1926) was a pioneering American taxidermist, sculptor, biologist, conservationist, inventor, and nature photographer. He made important contributions to many American museums, especially the Milwaukee Public Museum, Field Museum of Natural History, and the American Museum of Natural History.

Akeley is often called the father of modern taxidermy because of his new ways of preparing animals to look more lifelike. He started the AMNH Exhibitions Lab, a special group that mixes science with creative design to help people learn about nature in exciting ways. His work helped change how we see and understand animals and their homes.

Career

Carl Akeley was born in Clarendon, New York and grew up on a farm. He learned the art of taxidermy from David Bruce in Brockport, New York. He then worked at Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, New York, where he helped prepare P.T. Barnum's Jumbo after it passed away.

In 1886, Akeley joined the Milwaukee Public Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he spent six years improving taxidermy methods. He later moved to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago in 1896. There, he created lifelike animal displays, including the famous "Fighting African Elephants" shown in 1909.

Akeley was also an inventor. He developed a special type of concrete called shotcrete and created a portable camera for filming wildlife. He wrote books, including stories for children, and held over 30 patents for his inventions. He focused much of his work on African mammals, especially gorillas and elephants, and made many of the animals he displayed himself.

The Akeley Method

Carl Akeley believed that taxidermy could make animals look not just lifelike, but as if they were truly alive. He also thought that these animals should be shown in settings that looked just like where they would be in nature, with other animals they would normally interact with.

Akeley’s way of doing this involved making very light, hollow figures of animals using mainly papier mache and wire mesh. He used careful measurements from the field, photos, and his knowledge of how the animals behave to guide him. After making the figure, he carefully added the animal’s real skin and feet.

The steps in Akeley’s method were:

1. He sculpted a tiny, detailed clay model of the animal.
2. He built a framework using bones, wood, metal rods, and wire.
3. He covered this framework with plaster and clay to make an exact model of the living animal.
4. He coated the clay with plaster. Once dry, he removed the plaster mold in pieces to create a perfect shape.
5. He applied papier mache and wire mesh inside the mold to make a full-sized, hollow figure.
6. Finally, he put the animal’s real skin on the figure so that no seams could be seen.

African expeditions

See also: Akeley-Derscheid Expedition

Carl Akeley first traveled to Africa in 1896, invited by a museum curator to explore Somaliland. On this trip, he collected many animal specimens like hartebeest, gazelles, hyenas, kudus, oryx, and lions. He carefully measured, photographed, and preserved these animals to bring them back to museums for learning.

Later, in 1905, Akeley returned to Africa and collected even more specimens, including two large elephants for display. He also took many photographs and gathered materials for museum displays. In 1909, he joined a famous explorer on a long trip to Africa, working at a museum in New York where his work is still shown today.

In 1921, Akeley traveled to the Virunga Mountains to study gorillas. He was one of the first to film them in their home. His experiences changed his views, and he began working to protect these animals. His efforts helped create Africa’s first national park. Sadly, Akeley became ill during his next trip and passed away in Africa.

Personal life

Carl Akeley was married twice. His first wife was Delia Akeley, and they were married for almost 20 years. Delia went with him on two big trips to Africa in 1905 and 1909 to help with his work. Later, he married Mary Jobe Akeley two years before he passed away. Delia also returned to Africa two more times for the Brooklyn Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Legacy

The World Taxidermy & Fish Carving Championships give out gold medallions with a picture of Carl Akeley to the best winners in the world. These medallions were made by Floyd Easterman from the Milwaukee Public Museum. Two big halls—the Akeley Hall of African Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History and the Akeley Memorial Hall at The Field Museum—are named after him.