A directory of taxidermy supply companies, past and present
Every mounted specimen depends on a supply chain: glass eyes, mannikins, tanning chemicals, hide paste, habitat materials, and tools. This directory documents the firms that provided them — from nineteenth-century houses such as Fred Kaempfer of Chicago (1857) and Ward's Natural Science Establishment (1862) to the regional dealers and modern manufacturers still trading today.
Each listing records the company's location, founding year where known, specialties, and current status — active, historical, or acquired — along with any merger history. Where a priced catalogue or price list survives in the collection, the record links to the scanned archival material, the single best evidence of what a taxidermist could buy in a given year.
For the story behind one of the oldest houses in the trade, read our essay on Fred Kaempfer of Chicago, or browse the taxidermy book catalog these suppliers so often advertised in.
Community Contributions Welcome
This directory is a growing list, and we are continually adding new companies as we discover them. If you know of a supply company—past or present—that should be included, or have information, photographs, or materials related to these businesses, please contact us. Your contributions help preserve this important aspect of taxidermy heritage.
Frequently asked questions
- What are taxidermy supply companies?
- Taxidermy supply companies manufacture and sell the materials a taxidermist needs: glass eyes, mannikins and body forms, tanning chemicals, preservatives, hide paste, airbrush paints, habitat materials, and tools. Historically many also published illustrated priced catalogues, which are among the best surviving records of how the craft was practiced.
- Which taxidermy supply companies are the oldest?
- Houses such as Fred Kaempfer of Chicago (founded 1857), Ward's Natural Science Establishment of Rochester (1862), and Frederic S. Webster and Jonas Brothers in the decades that followed are among the earliest documented American suppliers. Several European firms, including Rowland Ward in London, supplied naturalists even earlier.
- How many supply companies are listed in this directory?
- The directory currently documents more than ninety companies, both historical and still trading. Each record notes the founding year where known, location, specialties, status, and any merger or acquisition history, along with links to surviving catalogs held in the archive.
- What does 'Historical' or 'Acquired' mean on a listing?
- Historical means the company no longer trades under its own name. Acquired means the business was absorbed into another supplier and its product lines usually continued under the new owner. Active companies are still operating today.
- Can I add a taxidermy supply company or catalog to the archive?
- Yes. The directory grows through contributions from taxidermists, collectors, and families of former suppliers. If you have a company name, catalog, price list, letterhead, or photographs that belong in the record, use the contact page to send details and we will add or expand the entry.