Vier opgezette koppen van alpensteenbokken before 1880

This is a photograph in a book, showing four stuffed heads of Alpine ibexes, created by Nicholas & Co. This image speaks to the social history of trophy hunting and taxidermy in the 19th century. The practice of hunting exotic animals and displaying them as trophies became popular among wealthy Europeans. The book is titled "His Description". This image creates meaning through its visual codes of class, conquest and control over the natural world. The colonial associations of hunting in Africa and Asia were often linked to the exploitation of both natural resources and indigenous populations. The book reveals that the animals were shot on the rocky ridge west of Pykurs by natives, on behalf of colonels. To fully understand this image, one might research the history of taxidermy, colonial hunting practices, and the social status of trophy collecting. The image reflects the values and attitudes of a particular time and place, revealing much about the relationship between humans and the natural world.