|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hermann
Ploucquet was a taxidermist at the Royal Museum in Stuttgart.
1850
- Exhibitied anthropomorphic animal groups in Leipzig, after Gianbrille's
(or Mme. Louise Leneveux?) Animal Parlants.
1851
- Is one of a small group of taxidermists exhibiting at the Great
Exhibition, Crystal Palace.
1851
- Queen Victoria describe's Plouquet's displays in her diary as "really
marvelous".
1851
- Plouquet's exhibit is so popular that a book is quickly published
as The Comical Creatures of Wurtenburg. At the request of the publisher, daguerreotypes were
taken by Antoine Jean Francois Claudet (1797-1867) and engravings from these
were made on to wood for the book. It must be noted that the stories
in The Comical Creatures of Wurtemburg were written by the publisher
(David Bogue, London) to illustrate the drawings and "pad-out" the
book, the exception being The Story of Reynard the Fox. At least
two print runs were published in 1851 by David Bogue and another, with only 14 illustrations, in 1861 byT. Nelson & Sons
Plates from
The Comical Creatures of Wurtemburg are shown below, along with some engravings
from other sources as well as some photographs of the actual taxidermy tableaux.
If you can provide
any additional information on Hermann Ploucquet or illustrations of his work
please contact me!
Click here
to jump down to "new" photos of Ploucquet's work from The Strand
magazine, Vol. XIII 1897.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - DAME WEASEL AND HER CHILDREN. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE ATTENTIVE PHYSICIAN. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE VERY ATTENTIVE PHYSICIAN. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - OLD MARTEN AND SHARP WEASEL, ESQ. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - MR. BANTAM'S INTERVIEW WITH OLD MARTEN. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - LONGTAIL TEACHING THE YOUNG RABBITS ARITHMETIC. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tail
and color of this schoolmaster differs from the engravings above and below. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE
SCHOOLMASTER AT HOME - Engraved by G. Greatbach from a drawing by Mason. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - JACK HARE AND GRACE MARTEN LEADING OFF THE BALL. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE WONDERFUL HARE HUNT.
The double wide illustration of this display was counted as two illustrations in the "Comical Creatures". It's possible that the actual display was a diptich. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE DUEL OF THE DORMICE. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE KITTENS AT TEA - MISS PAULINA SINGING. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comparing
this display makes one wonder if the engraver took liberties with the room's
decor. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engraving
featured in The Illustrated London News. Also included in the
Selected Engravings from the Great Exhibition. (vol. 7).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - ENSIGN SQUEEKER AND MISS ROSE. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - YOUNG MARTEN BIDDING FAREWELL TO MISS PAULINA. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engraving
from The Illustrated London News. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - THE FROGS WHO WOULD A-WOOING GO. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - REYNARD AT HOME AT MALEPARDUS. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - REYNARD IN THE LIKENESS OF A HERMIT. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - SIR TIBERT DELIVERING THE KING'S MESSAGE. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Only
slight differences between this display and the engraving above. Notably
the glasses and background. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - REYNARD BRINGS FORWARD THE HARE AS HIS WITNESS. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - REYNARD ON HIS PILGRIMAGE TO ROME. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
plate - REYNARD ATTACKETH LAPRELL THE RABBIT. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reynard
tableaux redone as 2 tryptic vertical cases. Image courtesy of Antiques
Trade Gazette (31 October 1981 as are the Reynard photos to the right of the Comical Creatures engravings. Sold with the
contents of Stoneleigh Abbey by Christie's who erroneously suggested these
were by Walter Potter. Fox cubs were used for these displays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engraving
showing a medley of the Ploucquet displays from Selected Engravings from
the Great Exhibition. (vol. 7).
Also used in The Illustrated Exhibitor. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Stag
being attacked by 5 hounds, part of the Wurtemburg display.
The Great Exhibition catalogues sets out Ploucquet's works as 53 items, 20
of which are listed as animal caricatures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following
is an excerpt from part III of an article titled 'Side Shows' by William G.
FitzGerald, published in Vol. XIII of The Strand, 1897.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMIC
STUFFED ANIMALS - HEDGEHOGS SKATING. From a Photograph. (Note:
2 hedgehogs are smoking.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"It
is not often that one comes across a scientist who is also what one might
term a practical humorist. Yet such a man was Hermann Ploucquet, preserver
of Natural History objects at the Royal Museum of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg.
Herr Ploucquet conceived the highly original idea of setting up a large number
of small animals - such as foxes, weasels, martens, hares, kittens, etc. -
so as to resemble comic pictures. Some of the groups, indeed, were concrete
copies of Kaulbach's illustrations for Goethe's poem of "Reynard the
Fox."
The
grouping, dressing, and expression of the various animals are beyond all praise.
The entire collection was packed and forwarded to this country under
the professor's own personal superintendence, and will probably be on show
at the Crystal Palace at the forthcoming Victorian Era Exhibition.
The
first photo shows several joyous hedgehogs skating on a miniature lake; notice
the light fantastic step of the little animal in the middle. Tiny skates
are fitted to many rigid little feet. In the second photo a group of
very young and irresponsible kittens are serenading an angry porker; and the
third illustration figures in the catalogue as "The Village Dentist."
The operator, a pine marten, wears an expression of fiendish glee, which is
quite marvellous when we consider that this is merely a stuffed animal.
"These
groups of animals," says Herr Ploucquet himself, "are chiefly imitations
of the attitudes, habits, and occupations of rational creatures." Among
these truly comic groups are: three statesmen (foxes, appropriately
enough, and of preternaturally serious aspect); a frog ball; a
snail post (carried by a dormouse); a prisoner before the magistrate
(a hare and a hog); an Irish wake (six cats and a polecat - the latter
as the deceased); a club raid in Soho (six hares and a fox); and a lady
out walking with her husband and her servant (a cat, a red howling monkey,
and a baboon.)"
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KITTENS
SERENADING A PIG. From a Photograph. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"
THE VILLAGE DENTIST " From a Photograph. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following
are relevant excerpts from "Shop Boy" - An autobiography by John
Birch Thomas (b. 1860). The manuscript was written in the 1930's, when Mr.
Thomas was in his seventies, and published posthumously by his granddaughter.)
1983 Routledge & Keegan Paul
(I would set
the date at approximately 1879)
From
page 131:
"They
were such nice little things that I hadn't the heart to be rude and tell them
to bunk off, so when I wasn't serving I told them that they ought to go in
the Gallery and see the Wurtemburg Collection of Stuffed Animals. They
were so funny; little kittens, frogs, rabbits, moles and squirrels,
and similar things, all dressed up like ordinary children and people. They
were put in models of houses and inns and made to look as if they were doing
things like human beings. But I only wasted my time. They just
stared at me all the time I was telling them. I thought then that perhaps
they weren't 'all there'."
From
pages 142 & 143:
"Mr.
Carwynne liked to talk about the Crystal Palace. He said that there
was no place like it for amusement and instruction anywhere near London, and
he said people would miss it if it was ever closed down or if it got burnt
down. He said the most amusing exhibit was the Wurtemburg Collection
of Stuffed Animals and what a pity it was that they were tucked away in the
North Gallery instead of being put in the Central Transept where more people
would see them. He was glad when I told him that I had found them and
how I had laughed. He said that the man who arranged them must have
spent years over it, and what a humorous man he must have been to arrange
the little stuffed things in such laughable situations.
I'm
afraid that the moth may have may have got in 'em now and they are no longer
on show, but if you missed seeing them when you went to the Palace, I will
tell you some of them like I did those little <...> girls.
The
animals were all small things such as moles, squirrels, weasels, rats, small
rabbits, cats and kittens, toads and long-legged frogs. They were so
well preserved that they looked alive. The funny part was that they
were all dressed up with hats or bonnets on and tiny suits of clothes. They
were arranged in compartments like the inside of a house with the animals
sitting around and doing things like human beings do.
One
scene was a farmhouse kitchen with a table and chairs, an old oak dresser
and little brass candlesticks on the mantel. Little kittens sat at the
table having breakfast. Some were boys and three were girls in white
pinnies. A grown-up cat sat at the end pouring out coffee, and on one
side of the fireplace an old grandfather cat reading a tiny newspaper sat
opposite an old lady cat who was mending a stocking.
Another
compartment was a big room in an inn with animals sitting about drinking or
smoking long pipes. At a table in one corner four moles were playing
cards, while a squirrel dressed as a waitress carried round drinks. It
was funny to see her long tail sticking up through a hole at the back of her
dress.
Then
there was an inside of of a church with a little white rabbit being married
to a brown one by a monkey parson. Lots of other white rabbits sat on
the side where the bride stood, and brown ones on the other side. Many
of them were staring across at each other instead of attending to the ceremony.
Best
of all was a duel between two large frogs who were standing on their long
hind legs and fighting with swords. A crowd of all sorts of little animals
stood around looking over each other's shoulders and looked excited, some
weasels and monkeys had climbed trees to get a better view, and mice sat in
a long row on the garden wall.
If you
did see this collection, I am sure you came away wondering at the patience
and ingenuity of the man who arranged it all."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |