Preservation Matters: Birds of a Feather

“Birds of a feather flock together” is a 16th-century English proverb suggesting that similar things or people tend to be found in groups. It’s especially true at Biltmore where our Conservation team has been busy restoring a collection of birds originally preserved through taxidermy.

“Every detail of preservation matters at Biltmore,” said Renee Jolly, Objects Conservator, “and sometimes those details are as small as a missing feather or a damaged leaf on a taxidermied bird mount.”

Assessing the birds in Biltmore’s collection

Some of the taxidermied birds in the Gun Room collection: (L-R) Ring-Necked Pheasant, Cooper’s Hawk, Barred Owl, Hairy Woodpecker

In conjunction with a larger project to return the Smoking Room and Gun Room of Biltmore House to their original appearance during the Vanderbilt era, Renee has been cleaning and restoring a number of birds that were previously displayed in the Gun Room or held in storage.

Many of the birds in Biltmore’s collection still have the original Thomas Rowland, Taxidermist, label affixed to the base of their mount.

“We have correspondence in our archives between Dr. Carl Schenk, Estate Forester, and Thomas Rowland, a noted taxidermist in New York City,” Renee said. “From 1898 to 1909, bird specimens from the estate were sent by train to Rowland’s firm on Sixth Avenue where they were preserved and mounted for display, then returned to Biltmore.”

The restoration process begins

Renee uses a fan brush to smooth the tailfeathers of a female American Kestrel.

According to Renee, the custom of the era was to display the birds in lifelike poses, often perched on real branches, with natural twigs and other flora such as moss, lichens, and grasses around the base of the mount.

After cleaning, any damage to Rowland’s original canvas botanical leaves is repaired; here a conservator uses tweezers to help put the pieces back in place on the bird’s base.

“To give the mounts an even more realistic appearance, Rowland also used painted canvas and wires to create leaves and other plants that would otherwise have deteriorated rapidly,” Renee said, “so we’ve worked to preserve those details, as well.”

To begin the work of restoring the 125-year-old birds, Renee started by analyzing each specimen in detail and photographing them from multiple different angles to record their condition.

Example of recoloration: before and after pictures of male Northern Cardinal in Biltmore’s collection.

“Many of the birds were quite dusty, and there were differing degrees of deterioration simply because of their age. We began by noting which birds needed cleaning and minimal conservation, and which ones had damage that would need more elaborate repairs,” said Renee.

Repairing damage

This worktable features a mix of tools for the bird project, including replacement feathers, bright pastels, and a palette for mixing colors.

In keeping with best practices for returning taxidermied birds to their original appearance, Renee used pastels to restore coloration that had changed over time. “Even careful cleaning can’t restore colors that have faded,” Renee said, “or fix white feathers that have darkened with age. These highly pigmented pastels allow us to bring the birds back to life.”

Renee tints the feathers on a female Belted Kingfisher with delicate layers of white pastel.

Some of the birds in Biltmore’s collection had an issue with their glass eyes, which are traditionally used in the taxidermy process.

“As it ages, glass can develop ‘glass disease’ that causes a cloudy film to form on the surface. We monitor items such as George Vanderbilt’s monogrammed crystal in the Butler’s Pantry regularly to catch early signs and treat it appropriately. When we assessed these birds as part of the larger preservation project for the Gun Room, we realized it was happening with some of the birds’ eyes,” said Renee.

This Cooper’s Hawk, preserved by Thomas Rowland, Taxidermist, more than 100 years ago, has now been restored to its original appearance. Look closely at the tiny details like the feathers around its beak and its tongue displayed in a life-like position.

Other issues included missing or damaged feathers, damaged limbs and claws, and problems with the branches and other materials on which the birds were mounted.

“We worked through a number of unusual challenges that you don’t encounter on a regular basis,” Renee said.

Birds of a feather

Examples of birds preserved via taxidermy in Biltmore’s collection.

Taxidermy in the Gilded Age was not merely a method of preserving animals; it was an expression of wealth and sophistication. Wealthy individuals would often commission taxidermists to preserve specimens from their private hunting expeditions or to decorate their opulent homes with lifelike representations of birds and other animals. At the time, taxidermy was also viewed as a way to document the changing natural world, particularly as industrialization and urbanization were encroaching on many species’ habitats.

The Carolina Wren (left) and Eastern Meadowlark (right) are two of the smaller birds in the collection.

There are other examples of taxidermy in Biltmore House, including the large heads in the Banquet Hall. “Those were all trophy-size mounts selected from catalogs to fill the expansive space of these rooms,” said Renee, “but this intimate collection of delicate birds, mounted by Thomas Rowland, is truly unique because each one was collected right here at Biltmore. And we can still see those same species on the estate today.”

New rooms coming soon!

Members of the Museum Services team on scaffolding in the Gun Room of Biltmore House.

Our newest preservation project involving the Gun Room and the Smoking Room is scheduled for completion in late spring 2025. We hope you’ll join us soon to see the results–be sure to look for the beautifully restored birds that will be displayed in the Gun Room.

A first look for Biltmore Annual Passholders

This post was originally shared with Biltmore’s Annual Passholders via the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Ambassador, our exclusive Passholder magazine. Join our Passholder family to get insider access and exclusive benefits—like unlimited daytime visits for a full year!