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The Weird & Wonderful: Unconventional Christmas Present
Other | Monday 8th December 2014 | Kira
Ever dreamt of having a nice skull in the house that you can keep you company in a moment of solitude? Or your very own collection of mottled butterflies to add some colour to your life? Or perhaps a fury rug which will go oh-so-well with that antique table you bought on the Portobello road a year ago?
We totally understand your desires. Moreover, we constantly catch ourselves being attracted to the cringey yet appealing world of taxidermy. However, just as the biggest animal lovers, who spend hours gazing into the green eyes of funny kitties online, the idea of causing harm to an innocent creature for our pleasure makes us feel guilty. So when we discovered The Weird & Wonderful Natural History store, we can finally exhale in relief.
The Weird & Wonderful store is truly weird and equall wonderful. It gives everyone an opportunity to purchase a piece of history, whether it is an entomology frame with intriguing insects or the incredibly rare full size taxidermy mounts. Norman Wright, the founder and owner of the store, first launched the website in 2012, selling all the items from his bedroom (On hearing this we could not contain our excitement. Imagine going to bed surrounded by exotic birds and deer horns!). "I’ve always had an affinity for old things", says Norman. "As a kid my grandmother would take me to all the museums and castles around the country, but as a teenager I became more involved with art eventually studying it at college and university". After a trip to Paris, where Norman saw natural history being used as a form of desoration, the founder realised that his passion is shared by many people and the idea for Weird & Wonderful was born. The business developed so rapidly that by July 2013 Wright already moved to his own store with its very own museum collection on display. "It was getting to the point where there were animals in the living room, my bedroom, my parents’ bedroom and it was getting a bit out of hand!", recalls Norman. "The added space of a retail store was the perfect solution, allowing customers to come and visit me, and allowing me to display everything I have with room to do orders.”
The brand's main agenda is to educate people from all backgrounds about wildlife. The guys aren't hunters: all their pieces come from antique collections, sometimes as old as 100 years. The only new pieces are by products of road accidents or vet operations. They also support the WWF with monthly donations. The entomology items aren't in any way less exciting: all the insects are sourced from the conservation farms, which not only preserve the nature but also provide an ethical source of income for the local communities. "I think there are a lot of preconceptions around taxidermy that are not actually true. We at The Weird & Wonderful are animal lovers and believe that in all aspects of dealing with animal remains it should be done with decency and respect for the animal that they came from", states Norman.
So before you start second guessing yourself for your uncontrolled urge for a piece of dead nature for your Christmas wishlist, think again: maybe what you are really doing is giving it a weird and wonderful second life? Sounds good to us.
By Kira Kolosova
