I Collect: Kaylah

I've been reading Kaylah's blog for awhile now. I love her style, her wit and her love of cats! The other morning, while enjoying a cup of joe and a sleeping baby, I was checking in on Kaylah to see what she's been up to when it hit me-I collect interview! I'm super pumped to share with you Kaylah's strange and awesome tooth collection. 

My Name is: Kaylah Doolan. I'm a small business owner and full time blogger over at The Dainty Squid. I love cats, mycology, and of course, collecting way more things that I need.

I collect: teeth! I collect both human and animal teeth, tooth shaped things (brooches, planters, etc) and dental items (like slides, ceramic molds, etc)

Its been going on for: a few years. My collection has really bulked up over the last few months though!

I look for additions to my collections at: everywhere I go! A walk in the woods might find me an animal skull with teeth for my collection but I would have to say estate sales and ebay are my main source of additions.

When I find one I feel: Excited! It's a natural high to find pieces for any of my collections.

The star of my collection is: my teeth! I got 8 teeth pulled when I got braces - four wisdom teeth and four others to make room for my teeth to straighten out. It was a pain finding a dentist who would let me keep them because they're apparently "biohazards" but it was totally worth it!

The oddest piece in my collection is:  a strangers dentures! I found them in the garage at an estate sale of someone who recently died. They were in a box with a few other things and I was certain they'd cost more than I'd want to pay, especially since I just wanted them because they were so weird. But they ended up costing me fifty cents and since then I've bought four more pairs for my collection.

A way my collection has gotten me into a tight situation: I don't think my collection has ever really gotten me in a tight situation. Sometimes I do feel a bit awkward about admitting I collect teeth because everyone thinks it's really gross, weird, or inhumane. All of the real teeth in my collection come from consenting humans or deceased animals so it's not inhumane! As for gross, all of my collection has been cleaned thoroughly, and bleached when necessary. But I guess I can see how it could be weird! ;)

Some other things I like to collect are: vintage paint by numbers, cameras, nesting dolls, mushrooms, cuckoo clocks, vintage dresses, belts, keys, both faux and real taxidermy and maybe a few other things that I can't think of off the top of my head.

My family and friends think my collection is: strange, but they're very supportive. My dad got a bunch of teeth pulled sometime before Christmas and my mom gave them to me all packaged up nice in a fancy jewelry box, so I'd certainly say they understand me! ;) I come from a long line of collectors. My grandma was a collector, my dad is, I most definitely am, and my 8 year old nephew is too!

Thanks for sharing Kaylah!

See previous I Collect Interviews Here

Collecting Taxidermy

African Springbok Antelope Shoulder Mount

From what I hear, collecting taxidermy is extremely addictive. A friend of mine had a collection that got so out of control, she said, that her home started to resemble a natural history museum. In order to slow down her accumulation she imposed a rule for herself-that she could, from then on, only collect albino animals!

Taxidermy is popular with many subcultures and has been around for quite along time. Because of this, the resources available for those interested in collecting taxidermy, or witnessing taxidermy collections are quite vast. 

20 Ducklings Unmounted

During the Victorian era, taxidermy gained an unprecedented popularity. It was used frequently in great interior design, and a symbol of wealth. Victorian naturalists did not have binoculars or cameras. Often times their only method for identifying a species was to shoot it and examine it later. By the 18th century almost every town had it's only tannery and taxidermy set up. Customers could bring in animals and hides to literally have them "stuffed" with cloths and rags. By the 20th century taxidermists were considered artists-bringing life to the dead by posing and creating realistic settings to display their pieces in. 

Field Natural History Museum

Two interesting and well known taxidermists are Martha Maxwell and Walter Potter. Martha Maxwell is said to be the 1st woman naturalist who killed and stuffed and collected her specimens. She created natural environments to display her findings in. During her career she discovered a number of new species including (that which is named for her) The Maxwell Owl. Walter Potter, the most outstanding anthropomorphic taxidermist, spent the greater part of his career recreating famous nursery rhymes with taxidermied animals. Including "The Death And Burial Of Cockrobin," the highest grossing piece in his collection-which was broken up and sold in 2003. 

With taxidermy having a long history and passionate following there are great opportunity's to witness truly artistic and mind blowing pieces. There are many natural history museums all over the world, filled with dioramas, tableaus and menageries, waiting patiently for your patronage. Martha Stewart even recently revealed her taxidermy collection! You can find taxidermy in movies and t.v. shows (like Fox's sitcom "Scrubs" where the main character has a 'pet' taxidermeid dog). Taxidermy is on display and for sale in some wonderful and hip boutiques like San Francisco's Paxton Gate (Where I have been known to drop way too much money on plants I've never seen before). And of course, the Internet is an every flowing stream of taxidermy in all it's glory. One wonderful website being "Minnesota Association of Rouge Taxidermists," is dedicated to showcasing the work of modern taxidermy artists from Minnesota (props to my homeland!) and beyond. And also enjoy the humorous site "Crappy Taxidermy."

Squirrel Head Necklace

There are so many books about collecting taxidermy, beautiful, beautiful books. It's a collection all in itself. I found a good many of them on Amazon including  "Windows On Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of The American Museum of Natural History,"  and "Walter Potter and His Museum of Curious Taxidermy," and "The History of Taxidermy: Art, Science, and Bad Taste," plus the highly acclaimed "The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and The Cultures of Longing." Also check out "The Authentic Animal: The Odd and Obsessive World of Taxidermy," and "Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy."

Stay on after the jump for some alternative and vegetarian taxidermy examples! 

Collecting: Natural History

The Bone Room. A dream come true for any natural history collector. Located North of Berkeley, in Albany, on Solano. If you're in the East Bay and you haven't been, believe me, you're missing out! The small space is fully stocked and neatly organized. You can find bones, fossils, insects, claws, horns, eggs, specimens of all types and many, many more amazing things! 

The Bone Room is where I purchased my first raccoon penis. 

 

 At The Bone Room I once bought my roommate a crazy long horse's tail for her birthday. And where I would always stock up on glassine envelopes, which I use for all kinds of art and package related things!

 

Where else can you find supplies for insect preservation, horns for a headdress, beautiful handcrafted jewelery, scientific themed games and toys for kids, pressed butterflies, taxidermy, and even actual Mexican jumping beans? The Bone Room And if you don't live in the Bay Area, you can order with them over the phone, or on their website. But if you can, stop in the shop and check out the llama skeleton, the taxidermy sloth, and the drawers and drawers of natural history!

(they also have a facebook, and a flickr)