There’s a gentle artistry to a museum taxidermist’s craft

This short captures Tim Bovard, the staff taxidermist for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, as he reflects on over five decades spent perfecting his craft. Sparked by a childhood fascination with the museum’s dioramas that never faded, Bovard has devoted his career to shaping what he calls the ‘illusion of life’ – a process that requires both scientific precision and imaginative interpretation. Moving between his workshop, where he’s preparing a European starling for display, and the museum’s galleries, Bovard considers how these dioramas can help shape the public’s understanding of the nonhuman animal world. His reflections resonate deeply at a time when many people have limited contact with wildlife, and many of the species depicted in these displays are disappearing at alarming rates.