The popular annual lecture about theart of circus sideshows and
the Cabinet of Curiosities by Takeshi Yamada during Halloween
week was held on October 27, 2009. The following photograph-packed
article features the event at Brooklyn Public Library – Coney
Island Branch in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. This manuscript
was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic and New York
City author, as told by Takeshi Yamada. Takeshi Yamada is one of
the most influential and active educators in New York City with
several dozens of awards, recognitions and nominations including
two “Keys to the City” from Mayors, “Who’s Who in America”, “One
Thousand Great Americans”, “International
Educator of the Year”. He has also taught classes and given
public lectures at over 40 educational institutions
internationally. Yamada is also a prolific author of article
publications including 11 published books, and an artist with over
500 fine art exhibitions with his paintings and sculptures
exhibited internationally in Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan
and the United States. In addition, rogue taxidermy artworks,
sideshow gaffs, large sideshow banners and showfronts created by
Yamada in the last 40 years have been exhibited at dozens of state
fairs and festivals annually even today around the nation.
ROGUE TAXIDERMY:
DRAGONS & MERMAIDS
Lecture by Takeshi Yamada
Brooklyn, Public Library - Coney Island Branch
1901
Mermaid Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11224
October 27 (Tue),
2009, 4 – 5 pm
Article by Dr.
Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada
PART 2
Promotional color poster for the lecture of Takeshi Yamada
Design & production by Takeshi Yamada and Seara, October 2009
2009 Art Lecture by Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island Library
In this year, 2009,
the popular annual lecture about circus sideshows, rogue taxidermy
and the cabinet of curiosities by Takeshi Yamada week was held on
October 27 (Halloween week). This is one of many free community
enrichment programs and educational exhibitions, which the Museum
of World Wonders (President, Takeshi Yamada) has been giving since
1983 in the United States.
The
annual Halloween art lecture by Takeshi Yamada in the main
auditorium of the Brooklyn Public Library - Coney Island Branch
(Coney Island Library) usually consists of three major parts. The
first is a show of actual rogue taxidermy specimens during which
he brought certain specimens just for the occasion of his lecture.
People are encouraged to approach the displays so that they could
take a close look at them. Second is a comprehensive lecture about
rogue taxidermy, cryptozoology, natural history museum, circus
sideshow, Coney Island’s unique culture and other fascinating
topics. Third is a question and answer session.
The subject of this
year’s lecture by Yamada was rogue taxidermy associated with the
cabinet of curiosities, natural history museums, and circus
sideshows.
2009 Rogue Taxidermy Specimen Artworks Show
As stated before, the
annual lecture of Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island Library is based
on his educational belief in ”show and tell”, which specifically
means he actually holds the mermaid in his hand and shows it to
his audience as he speaks. This separates Yamada’s lectures and
other lecturers dramatically.
For this year’s art
lecture at Coney Island Library, Takeshi Yamada brought over two
dozens of real rogue taxidermy specimens, artifacts, sideshow
gaffs, and artworks from the Museum of World Wonders to the Coney
Island Library and transformed the main auditorium into the
“Chamber of Curiosities”.
Takeshi Yamada talked
about his rogue taxidermy pieces of rare and unusual creatures by
showing them to the audience at Coney Island Library (Brooklyn
Public Library – Coney Island branch). The audience included a
wide range of age groups including elementary school students to
the elderly.
(October 27, 2009,
Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Over two dozens of
rogue taxidermy of rare and unusual creatures were displayed at
Yamada’s lecture for people at the main auditorium of the Coney
Island Library (Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island branch).
(October 27, 2009,
Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Here
is a list of the rogue taxidermy pieces Takeshi Yamada brought for
his art lecture.
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1.
Mermaid, 4 foot
2.
Surf
Merman
3.
Giant
Mermaid’s Purse
4.
Dragon head, 3 foot
5.
Marsh
Dragon, 30 inch
6.
Sugar
Dragon
7.
Folk-tailed Dragon
8.
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
9.
Samurai Warrior’s Ceremonial Reincarnation mask (Atlantic
horseshoe crab)
10.
Giant
Carnivorous Snail
11.
Nautilus
12.
Ribcage Squid
13.
Basket Ray
14.
Canadian Hairy Trout
15.
Heart
Fish
16.
Giant
alligator Clam, 3 foot
17.
Giant
Seahorse
18.
Giant
Octopus Worm
19.
Arrow-head Lizard
20.
Monkey’s Hand Razor Clam
21.
Rogue
Taxidermy (sign on wooden board)
22.
Mermaid (sign on wooden board)
23.
Dragon (sign on wooden board)
24.
Lecture poster A
25.
Lecture Poster B
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2009 Art Lecture and Q&A Session
For this year’s art
lecture at Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island Branch, Takeshi
Yamada talked about rogue taxidermy.
Takeshi Yamada talked about rogue taxidermy, cabinet of
curiosities, cryptozoology,
and sideshows at Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island branch.
(October 27, 2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
For this year’s lecture, Takeshi Yamada talked about following
topics:
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1.
Meanings of rogue taxidermy, freak taxidermy, creative taxidermy,
sideshow taxidermy
2.
Origins and history of rogue taxidermy
3.
Places, where rogue taxidermy works have been shown
4.
Cabinet of Curiosities
5.
Dime Museum
6.
Circus sideshow
7.
Unique and distinctive history and culture of Golden Era of Coney
Island
8.
Dragons of past and present
9.
Mermaids as deities in Asian nations
10.
Rogue taxidermy pieces of cryptids
11.
Examples of natural oddities and freak of natures
12.
Human-faced insects
13.
Human-faced fish, mermaid, and merman
14.
dragons
15.
Where to find specimens of natural oddities, curiosities, and
cryptids
16.
How to safely handle specimens on the site
17.
How to safely preserve natural oddities at home
18.
How to produce “pickled specimens” inexpensively yet professionally
19.
Major collectors of curiosities, oddities, freaks, monsters and
marvels
20.
How to market and sell your unusual specimens and rogue taxidermy
pieces
21.
Market price of natural oddities (such as 5-legged dogs and 2-headed
turtles) and rogue taxidermy works (such as Fiji mermaids)
22.
Useful websites
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Takeshi Yamada talked about rogue taxidermy, cabinet of
curiosities, cryptozoology,
and sideshows for people at Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island
branch.
(October 27, 2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Snapshots of the Easel board manuscripts by Takeshi Yamada
Media Coverage
Shown below is the art lecture of Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island
Library on October 27, 2009 as featured in Astella Action News in
Brooklyn, New York (Vol.15, No.6, December 2009 issue)
Artist Presents “Curiosities” Lecture at Coney Island Library
Astella Action News in Brooklyn, New York (Vol.15, No.6, December
2009 issue)
Reference
Reference #1:
For more information
about Cabinet of Curiosities, read the following article by Dr.
Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-CabofCurioPT1.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-CabofCurioPT2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-CabofCurioP3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-CabofCurioPT4.html
Reference #2:
For more information about culture, religion and art of mermaids,
read the
following article by Dr. Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYfeejeePart1.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYfeejeePart2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYfeejeePart3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYfeejeePart4.html
Reference #3:
Cabinets of Curiosities (#1, #2, #3) of Takeshi Yamada on display
at Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island Branch in Coney Island,
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/exhibitions/other/worldwonders.jsp
Reference #4:
An article about the lecture entitled “Mythic Creatures: Dragons &
Mermaids” by Takeshi Yamada held at Brooklyn Public Library –
Coney Island Branch on October 29, 2008.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-CI-Library-Lec-Chap-1.html
Reference #5:
An article about the lecture entitled “Mythic Creatures: Dragons,
Unicorns & Mermaids” by Takeshi Yamada held at American Museum of
Natural History in New York, New York (Manhattan) on July 10,
2007.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-MysticC-Pt4.html
Reference #6:
Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists
Takeshi Yamada is one of the most active “Working Members” of
Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists (MART). For joining or
supporting this fascinating and creative art group, go to the
following website.
http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/
http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528
Reference #7:
Takeshi Yamada and his artworks in video-websites
Takeshi Yamada and his artworks were featured in 202 video websites
as of January 31, 2010. Yamada is one of the most featured
individuals on video among owners, performers, human oddities, and
banner/gaff artists in the American circus sideshow community
today.
The videos shown below are selected documentary clips featuring
Takeshi Yamada and his artworks (such as sideshow gaffs/banners
for sideshow companies, rogue taxidermy specimen artworks for
Cabinet of Curiosities of collectors, and fine art paintings for
commercial fine art galleries and fine art museums).
1.
Baby Museum of Dr. Takeshi Yamada at Dreamland Amusement
Park - Coney Island, New York 2009 (video #1 $ 2:
Coney Island freak
baby show)
This is
a documentary video of the bally of the Freak Baby Museum of
Yamada at Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New
York in 2009.
http://sideshowworld.com/TY-Baby-Show-UT-1.html
2.
CatincaTaxidermyVideo.m4v
This documentary video
created by Catinca features Rogue Taxidermy Contest at Bell
House on November 15, 2009, focusing Yamada with his artworks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STzIMg3zbt4
