Walter Potter’s Twisted Taxidermy

The creations of Victorian taxidermist Walter Potter, who once upon a time was famous for his elaborate, awwwww-inspiring, ew-provoking tableaux of dead baby animals aping human behavior—kittens playing croquet, bunnies going to school, and so on. In Walter Potter’s Curious World of Taxidermy (Blue Rider Press), out this week, these works may seem quintessentially Victorian in their merging of kitsch and morbidity—almost to the point of parody. But they also have a zany pop quality, as if conjured by Beatrix Potter (no relation) during an acid trip. Read more about Walter Potter’s work in a review by Bruce Handy. Below, a selection of photographs from the book, which makes a great Easter basket treat.