William Chalkley (1842-1942) was a self-taught taxidermist who turned his hobby into a business and took shop premises in Winchester.He later worked in partnership with his nephew, who carried on the business until 1966. Chalkley became Curator of the Winchester Museum in 1903, in which post he remained until within a year of his death, at the age of 80, in 1922. His first task upon taking over his ew job was to attend to the damaged Museum collection then in storage, most of which had to be disposed of. A few things he remounted, then he began the formation of a taxidermy collection of the birds and mammals of Hampshire, all of which he mounted himself.
We have bought major collections from museums and private collectors.
Offer your items here.
Taxidermy law can be complicated.
We make it our business to know the laws surrounding the trade, keeping up to date with changes in current legislation so you can buy in confidence.
The House of Taxidermy does not source modern taxidermy specimens that have been killed for the purpose of taxidermy. Our modern taxidermy is mainly roadkill and catkill as these are sadly the top two threats to British wildlife. We also get animals that have died of old age, largely from zoos and falconers.
Antique pieces for us are another matter. Although some of these old specimens were hunted, we see no harm in trading them today.
Destroying them will not bring the animal back.
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