[Nhcoll-l] Display of "roadkill"

[Bob Glotzhober]

Physically preparing the specimens and doing the exhibit should be easy
enough. But that is really a secondary question.

The real question, in my mind, is what is the objective of the exhibit?
Is it merely shock value? Do you believe you can reduce road kill of
wildlife through the message of this exhibit? 
Shock value can be good -- if it is used as a tool for a more important
objective. Paul Risk always talked about the "Ain't it Horrible
Syndrome" -- where  people are repulsed but also attracted to the
grotesque or repulsive. The news media certainly attracts a lot of
business this way. But unless there is an underlying and important
message, this  could be a turn-off for a lot of people. Unless you are
promoting something like wildlife underpasses/overpasses for freeways to
reduce roadkill, I cannot imagine that this would have impact on the
frequency of roadkill. Given most budgets currently, is spending funds
to prepare roadkill specimens really worth it? I am not saying you
should or should not do the exhibit, but it would be interesting to see
what your basic message and objectives are for doing it.
Bob Glotzhober

Robert C. Glotzhober
Senior Curator of Natural History
Ohio Historical Society
800 E. 17th Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43211-2474
Ph. 614-298-2054
e-Mail: bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org 



-----Original Message-----
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
[mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Carolyn Rissanen
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 5:59 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Display of "roadkill"

Has anyone ever done a display of road kill? We are looking to prepare a
few specimens as a "can you identify this?" exhibition, and it seems
that we can have our taxidermist mount them flat, or collect them
pre-flattened and freeze dry them.  Any opinions?

Carolyn Rissanen
Oakland Museum of California


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