Haunting Images of Burned Animal Mounts Photographed After the Fire in Deyrolle Taxidermy in Paris

Immortals, a series by French photographer Marc Dantan, depicts the charred mounts at Deyrolle Taxidermy in Paris after a devastating fire in 2008. Haunting and sorrowful, the images document the damaged taxidermy in its home, the beautiful 18th-century building, as well as another kind of death for the animals preserved.

According to an article published in the New York Times shortly after the incident, the fire consumed 90% of the shop’s stock, including most of the animals and dark-wood cabinets with specimens inside. The business’s owner vowed to rebuild and pleaded for funds and object donations from museums and private collectors. Classic wooden display cases, 50 boxes of butterflies, and the head of a bull originally bought from Deyrolle were among the items donated. Artists and photographers donated their works, which were made available for auction by Christie’s Europe, with commission waived. The result of the sales has gone toward reconstructing cabinets, furniture, and collections, restoring the much-loved Deyrolle to its former glory.

All images © Marc Dantan

This post was contributed by photographer Emma Kisiel via her photo blog, Muybridge’s Horse.

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