World Taxidermy Championships on Brainscoop

I am surprised no one posted this yet, but Emily put her YouTube video on her Brainscoop channel. See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6heiOkloE&feature=youtu.be

A few people besides Larry met with her and were filmed, so I don't know if another story will occur or not. Bob Kennedy brought a childhood toy to show her, but didn't make the cut.

I did run into her in the lobby and quizzed her about when she thought the "brainscoop", or properly termed "Brain spoon" actually began appearing in taxidermy catalogs - actually I teased her a bit about it. I spent a few minutes researching it in my archive just to come up with part of an answer - and we will see if she finds it on this forum.

I was persuaded to purchase a brain-spoon back about 1970 or so when I started with the J. W. Elwood Northwestern School of Taxidermy. No self respecting taxidermist could live without that magic tool. My version has an eye-hook on one end and then the small spoon on the other. I used it in taxidermy but more-so in removing brains for my skull collection I began about 8th grade.

First I looked in the early taxidermy books in Europe and the translations from French and the tool did not get pictured nor mentioned. William T. Hornaday in 1891 mentioned a "Brain Hook" but the first pub I found was Oliver Davies book

Davie, Oliver. 1894. Methods in the Art of Taxidermy. Subscription edition. Published by author, Columbus, Ohio. xiv + 150 pp. + vii + xiii + 89 plates.

It was not a surprise to me that the very early Elwood Catalogs circa 1906 had the item in it since his first version of his course used plates directly out of the text when they were mimeographed tablet type lessons.

Most suppliers had a version of a brain spoon - a 6 inch version and a 3 inch version from 1900 through the 1930's for example

Reed, Chas. K. ca. 1900. Chas K Reed and Co.,Naturalists’ Supplies. Worcester Massachusetts. 66 pp.

Babbitt, James P. 1906. James P. Babbitt, Taxidermist and Dealer in Naturalists' Tools and Supplies. Improved Silver plated Fittings for Deer, Moose, Elk and Caribou Feet. Manufacturer and Importer of Fine Glass Eyes. Publications, Bird Skins and Eggs, Heads and Antlers, etc. James P. Babbitt, Taunton, Mass. 16 pp.

M. Abbott Frazar Company . 1909. Taxidermist and Dealers in Glass Eyes, Taxidermist’ Tools and Supplies, Naturalists’ Tools and Supplies, Artificial Animals Head, Taxidermists’ Books, Raw Animal Skins, Heads and Antlers. The M. Abbott Frazer Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 32 pp.

and dozens more including

Hofmann, M. J. 1931. Supplies to Mount Insects to Elephants. M. J. Hofmann, Brooklyn, New York. 36 pp.

But who before Oliver Davie in 1894. Old Abbott Frazer had it listed in his early catalogs I had from 1909 and 1932 but even in the earliest I have

Frazar, M. Abbott. 1893. Taxidermist and Dealer in Glass Eyes, Taxidermists’ Tools and Supplies, Naturalists’ Tools and Supplies, Native and Foreign Birds’ Skins, Native and Foreign Birds’ Eggs, Artificial Animals Head, Naturalists’ Book, Raw Animal Skins, Heads and Antlers, Fly Tiers’ Feathers and Supplies and Buyer of Raw Fur. The M. Abbott Frazer Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 78 pp.

Unfortunately I don't have the very old catalogs, but the oldest I have is from a company in Chicago which Emily should be pleased with:

Kaempfer, Fred. ca. 1891. Kaempfer's Priced Catalog of Taxidermists' Materials Artificial Glass Eyes. Taxidermists' Implements, Glass Shades, Insect Pins, Artificial Leaves, Grasses, Moss, Stuffed Birds, Bird Skins, etc. Mounted Specimens of All Kinds. Including stuffed heads of ... Fred Kaempfer, 169 Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois. 16 pp.

They had a 5 1/2 inch size brain spoon and another 3 inch brain spoon.

Nowhere could I find the implement called a brainscoop. Perhaps it should be the action of using a brain spoon - more like a verb.

I wish her well on her ventures. I hear she is attending the SPNHC meetings in Denver coming up in a couple weeks. Perhaps she will meet up with George Dante who I hear will be giving a paper on restoring eyes in very old taxidermy mounts by essentially making contact lens for the old mounts and slipping them on the old mounts. Make sure you mention Bob Kennedy to George...

 

This is an interview Emily gave before she went to the world show. This link is a long interview but the time slot around 40 minutes on talks about the world show.
https://www.nodumbquestions.fm/listen/2017/6/18/010-dinosaurs-wolves-and-emily-graslie

She does understand taxidermy well.

 

Thanks for posting the link Ken.

Did anyone notice the ear-rings Emily had on - looks like Mustela vison