Taxidermy

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Walter S. Cash

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt informs Walter S. Cash that he is not interested in A. G. Wallihan’s book. If further editions of the book are produced, Roosevelt requests that his introduction be amended to refer specifically to those pictures he mentions. The photographs of the wild game are admirable, but Wallihan included some fake pictures of taxidermy animals without Roosevelt’s knowledge. If Wallihan removes those images, Roosevelt will write a preface.

Comments and Context

The book Theodore Roosevelt refers to is Hoofs, claws and antlers of the Rocky Mountains, by the camera.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to F. Webster

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt asks F. Webster who can treat his hunting trophies to protect them from moths.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-09-15

Letter from George Kruck Cherrie to Frank Harper

George Kruck Cherrie met with Theodore Roosevelt in Cleveland, Ohio, at the home of James Rudolph Garfield. Cherrie has received Roosevelt’s jaguar skins and has sent them to be made up. Roosevelt may also have Cherrie’s slides.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-09-30

Letter from George Kruck Cherrie to Frank Harper

George Cherrie hasn’t gotten a “satisfactory” price for the tanning and mounting of some Jaguar rugs, which will cost at least $6.00 to $7.00 each. He asks after rolls of film brought with Harper up north so that he could make lantern slides of them. Cherrie has also been busy with farm work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-08-02

Letter from Frederic A. Lucas to Theodore Roosevelt

Frederic A. Lucas, Director of the American Museum of Natural History, asks which year the birds Theodore Roosevelt donated were mounted. He is sorry that one of the cases was not donated to the Children’s Museum in Brooklyn.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-25

Letter from Frederick O. Robinson to Theodore Roosevelt

Frederick O. Robinson informs Theodore Roosevelt his wholesale taxidermist is attempting to sell several animal skin rugs for a low price. Robinson will put the taxidermist in touch with Roosevelt if he is interested.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-15

Letter from Peter Mulock to Theodore Roosevelt

Peter Mulock owns the mounted specimen of the last four truly wild American buffalo. He asks Theodore Roosevelt’s help selling them. He includes a clipping about them along with a photograph.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-17

Letter from James L. Clark to Theodore Roosevelt

James L. Clark informs Theodore Roosevelt he shipped a trophy head and hopes it makes it safely and quickly.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-11

Letter from Edmund Heller to Theodore Roosevelt

Edmund Heller asks Theodore Roosevelt’s permission to lecture the various societies that have invited him to speak on his African safari work. He discusses describing the new species of small mammals collected in Sudan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-11-26

Letter from Edmund Heller to Theodore Roosevelt

Edmund Heller hopes Theodore Roosevelt will visit the National Museum of Natural History during his visit to Washington D. C. He discusses the status of the specimens.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-11-12

Letter from John Murgatroyd to Theodore Roosevelt

John Murgatroyd, taxidermist, reminds President Roosevelt of his past servicing of hunting trophies at Oyster Bay. He wishes Roosevelt a safe and fruitful safari.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-28

Letter from Percy C. Madeira to Theodore Roosevelt

Percy C. Madeira advises President Roosevelt on the amount of other hunting parties he can expect to see on his African safari, as well as the best locations to hunt big game. Madeira also discusses a method of dealing with ticks, and encourages Roosevelt to visit him in Philadelphia to see his hunting trophies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-15

Letter from Noah Seaman to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Noah Seaman, superintendent of Sagamore Hill, discusses a number household management topics with Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. These include a taxidermist bill, pillows in the North Room, horses, and saving money on a tax bill.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-13

Letter from Edmund Heller to Theodore Roosevelt

Edmund Heller is happy to be asked to accompany President Roosevelt on his trip to Africa. Roosevelt’s route will allow the party to first collect the more common game, with the opportunity for discoveries coming later when they travel through Uganda and on the Nile. Heller’s past experience on in Africa was with Carl Ethan Akeley’s Field Museum expedition, where he was in charge of salting the skins of the game. He was not involved in outfitting the expedition. Heller regrets that he cannot immediately be of help to Roosevelt in the planning and organization of the trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-31

Letter from Edgar Alexander Mearns to Theodore Roosevelt

Edgar Alexander Mearns agrees to Theodore Roosevelt’s publication stipulations on the Africa expedition. Roosevelt’s publications must come first. In order to complete early preparations for the trip, Mearns requests an official order from the War Department outlining his duties. Mearns suggests other members of the American Museum staff who might be good candidates for the expedition. Mearns also asks Roosevelt whether he should make plans for the “systematic treatment of natives outside of your own party.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-04

Letter from Frank M. Chapman to Theodore Roosevelt

Frank M. Chapman thanks President Roosevelt for agreeing to view some of his photographic field work. He plans to travel to Gardiners Island soon to make a movie of birds. Chapman wishes that Kermit Roosevelt would be able to come to the American Museum of Natural History sometime in the summer to look at the various cameras and practice with them. He also says that if this is possible, he could arrange a meeting with a taxidermist who recently returned from British East Africa who could give Kermit many tips. Chapman agrees with Roosevelt on some confusion regarding some conventions of zoological classification.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-09

Letter from Carl Ethan Akeley to Theodore Roosevelt

Carl Ethan Akeley, Taxidermist-in-Chief of the Field Museum, sends President Roosevelt a manuscript about an elephant hunt in which he and his wife, Delia J. Akeley, participated. The manuscript is bound in the leather of one of the elephants Mrs. Akeley killed, and Akeley hopes it encourages Roosevelt to take a hunting trip to British East Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-04

Letter from William W. Hart to Theodore Roosevelt

Taxidermist William W. Hart received President Roosevelt’s check. He wants Roosevelt’s thoughts on the piece and informs him that the remount’s head is not representative of his work’s usual quality with a fresh specimen.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-06

Letter from William W. Hart to Theodore Roosevelt

William W. Hart informs President Roosevelt of his progress regarding the wolf skin he was given. Hart has cleaned and repaired the skull, and he has made a small rug which has come out “OK.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-13

Letter from William W. Hart to Theodore Roosevelt

Taxidermist William W. Hart updates President Roosevelt on the wolf rug. Hart can either replace the broken teeth in the current skull or replace the skull itself with another which he has on hand.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-09