Great Argus, c. 1879
The great argus is a large species of pheasant and is common to the jungles of Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. They tend to feed on the forest floor, consuming insects, seeds, fruit and flowers. This species was given its name by zoologist Carl Linnaeus because of the frequent eye-like pattern on their wings, in reference to the hundred-eyed giant Argus in Greek mythology.
Edward Gerrard & Sons was a taxidermy firm founded by Edward Gerrard in 1853 in Camden, London. Gerrard worked as an attendant at the British Museum’s zoological department. The company was initially known for their taxidermy of large game animals, but by the late 1800s, they were producing more small mounts which included some exotic animals.
The company was inherited by four generations of Edward Gerrards until the final Edward had no sons and passed the business to his cousin Harry.
The company was considered one of the finest taxidermy firms in the United Kingdom. Their mount of the greyhound Mick the Miller is on display in the Natural History Museum at Tring. Among their clients were the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, Dublin. Their premises feature in the Alfred Hitchcock 1955 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much.
