Gaffs

The critters in the post below got me thinking about gaffs – taxidermy where one cobbles together a mount from pieces, parts and whatever is handy. The canonical gaff is/was P. T. Barnum’s Feejee Mermaid; she’s not what I think of when I think mermaid, but she’s “This way to the egress” Barnum all the way. A while ago I ran across the work of Sarina Brewer whose gaffs include mermaids and Jenny Hanivers among other wild stuff. The etymology of Jenny Haniver is worth the detour into the world of aberrant taxidermy by itself.