Surreal stuffed animals or taxidermy treasures?

I admitted in a recent post about the Shell Factory that I found the most interesting thing to be the enormous collection of stuffed wildlife. A recent review of photographs shows that this attraction to images of taxidermy treasures is not new and despite my wife's protests, I'm trying to understand why I find this so intriguing.

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Part of it is that they are seem very surreal in their man-made environments. Lit by fluorescent bulbs, under acoustic ceiling tiles, they provide a jarring juxtaposition between the untamed natural world and our safe inside spaces.

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Maybe it's because they are so lifelike and their sad eyes seem to follow you and stare at you. Do their eyes capture their last thought, "please don't shoot me!"? Of course their eyes are glass...

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Homosassa Springs, FL

Perhaps I'm trying to figure out why we seem to like put dead things on display. Or at least their skins. Is it to show we can conquer nature? Is it our vanity? Or do we find these creatures beautiful and just like looking at them?

Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Sarasota, FL

Postcard for Thomas Edison's Winter Estate, Ft. Myers, FL

College Park home, Orlando, FL

I think my fascination with stuffed fish began as a kid. My dad has a big stuffed largemouth bass that I used to love to look at. I dreamed of one day catching a fish large enough to get stuffed one day. I knew it cost lot of money, but I was willing to save and save. It was a mute point as I never caught any fish large enough... and what about using dead fish for decorating? Living in Florida my whole life, it seems somewhat more acceptable to hang up a stuffed fish, than a deer head, maybe because they are not mammals.

Taxidermy shop, Deland, FL

I saw a special on TV about these photographers who went around the UK documenting every stuffed polar bear in the British Isles. They were raising awareness of the plight of the polar bears. Might these bizarre objects be all we have left to remind us of the way things used to be in the wild before we destroyed most of the natural habitats? Some of these are for learning purposes, I suppose... Is it different than putting dinosaur bones on display?

Homosassa Springs, FL

Yellowstone National Park

Dixie Crossroads, Titusville, FL

Is it gross? Or is there something in our DNA similar to the same instinct that made early Homo Sapiens paint cave pictures of the game they hunted? I'm open to all theories....

Tacky or Kitschy?

I really wanted to visit the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers to see the massive sign fronting the Tamiami Trail, a giant, golden wishbone-shaped frame with huge lettering and a monumental shell dangling beneath. But I also wanted to see how an attraction that just sold shells thrived in today's tourism world, being far from the interstate and miles away from large population centers.

Shell World's answer, besides having all sorts of gaudy and garrish shells in every configuration imaginable, is to have a little bit of everything. Bumper boats, a kids play area, fish ponds, a flea market, a fast food restaurant, a seafood restaurant, putt putt golf, a nature park and petting zoo, an arcade, stuffed wildlife and a waltzing waters display every evening. Basically they've turned into a low budget theme park.

Their sign is absolutely massive and the shell hanging beneath it is large but not long for this earth, being made of paper maché and looking very flimsy. We parked near the sign and walked between the fish ponds, past the bar and seafood restaurant and through another parking lot to get to the main shell shopping area. The entrance is shelltacular with a great display of rare shells and dolphins, pirates and John Wayne guarding the bright aqua entryway. Soon you are in shell heaven or shell hell, depending on your point of view, and there is almost everything made out of shells. My wife's favorite were the little shell bouquets with tiny rubber pigs.




I was fascinated by the stuffed game collection, as I find these dead animals incredibly sad and haunting. The juxtapostion of these majestic creatures in this bizarre environment was incredibly macabre. It is not for the faint-of-heart animal lover for sure. They were spread out everywhere, on top of AC ducts, suspended from the ceiling; all sorts of species including an elephant, tigers, lions, a giraffe and a hippo. Truly one of the most weirdest displays I've ever seen.


Around the corner and there's a year round Christmas wonderland, including a photo-op with a life-sized Santa. Turn another corner and you're in a the standard tourist gift shop sellling towels, bathing suits and flip flops, only with a Subway restaurant and full service post office. Around another bend are large dinosaurs, 6 ft. shark's jaws, skeletons, etc.

I had intended to purchase a souvenir, Florida sunshine in a can, but grew impatient as the patrons ahead of me had to have numerous shell purchases individually wrapped in newspaper. I left without spending a penny, my quota for Florida wackiness temporarily maxed out. I asked my wife what the difference between tacky and kitschy was as we drove away. Her response was "kitschy is funny and makes you feel good about humanity; tacky is sad and makes you feel bad about humanity." The Shell Factory is the perfect place to test your capacity for this side of Florida.