Located on the corner of an unassuming street in the quaint, family-friendly London borough of Islington lays Get Stuffed. Although fiercely shielded from the prying eyes of outsiders by an intricate metal mesh in the window and several warning signs, it's impossible not to look: especially once you've made eye contact with a massive polar bear, or a suspiciously still crocodile.
Entry is by appointment only, but once inside a mesmerizing consortium of exotic creatures awaits to greet guests. Sparrows and bats suspend perpetually frozen in mid-flight from the ceilings, attempting to escape the open jaws of a shark. In turn the floor is littered with an impossible array of animals, great and small; an ostrich stands guard over a lounging wolf, a baboon bares its teeth at a hot pink flamingo, and an authentic human skeleton leans against shelves brimming with butterfly and insect specimens. Several services are available, including rental - hiring a swan, before you ask, will set you back over £500 - for the polar bear it's more like £3,000. Given the highly guarded nature of the shops owners, one might also take their email signature of 'get stuffed' with a drop of formaldehyde.
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