---
product_id: 7864646
title: "The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1)"
brand: "rachel poliquin"
price: "VT16451"
currency: VUV
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/7864646-the-breathless-zoo-taxidermy-and-the-cultures-of-longing-animalibus
store_origin: VU
region: Vanuatu
---

# The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1)

**Brand:** rachel poliquin
**Price:** VT16451
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1) by rachel poliquin
- **How much does it cost?** VT16451 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/7864646-the-breathless-zoo-taxidermy-and-the-cultures-of-longing-animalibus)

## Best For

- rachel poliquin enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted rachel poliquin brand quality
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## Description

The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1)

## Images

![The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oCBY+dHNL.jpg)
![The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hu5HD1UjL.jpg)
![The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing (Animalibus Book 1) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31SnI4d39LL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Comprehensive
  

*by M***E on Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013*

Finally - a history of taxidermy that looks deep into meaning and contextualizes what these objects meant and mean now.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Contemporary phenomenon in historical context
  

*by P***M on Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2013*

Poliquin deftly details the cultural meanings of taxidermy in its many genres, from natural history museum artifact to hunting trophy to rogue art object.  This richly illustrated book, first in Penn State Press's series Animalibus: Of Animals and Cultures, would appeal to art historians, cultural anthropologists, and those interested in animal representation.  The "cultures of longing" in question here include the role taxidermy has played in creating wonder, spectacle, narratives, and memorials to the natural world.  What Poliquin does best here is show how taxidermy, while contributing to these and other cultures of longing, cannot quite fulfill our longing to look at real animals, either dead or alive, because a taxidermied animal is, paradoxically, a bit of both, and at the same time, neither.  My only complaint with Poliquin's work is that she doesn't sufficiently consider the distinct longing we experience in looking at taxidermies of extinct animals.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Absolutely beautiful book, replete with gorgeous pictures and gorgeous prose
  

*by S***. on Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2015*

Absolutely beautiful book, replete with gorgeous pictures and gorgeous prose. Her thinking through of important cultural moments in western history using taxidermy is philosophically interesting and very convincing. She treats her subjects with ethical responsibility and opened up this reader's eyes to whole new ways of thinking about taxidermic specimens as cultural signifiers. Other reviews have recommended this book for taxidermy fans, and I agree, but I also think it's a great book for people who aren't "into" taxidermy but are interested in general history or museology or even just animal-human relationships.

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*Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu*
*Store origin: VU*
*Last updated: 2026-05-12*