George Dante Studios

07/11/2024

If you know, you know……

06/26/2024

What an incredible class this past weekend!!!!!!

05/22/2024

Properly cleaning taxidermy is far beyond a feather duster and a bottle of Windex. In fact, the common ways in which we clean taxidermy can actually do more damage, causing it to lose its value and shorten its lifespan. Through we’re offering a rare opportunity to learn proper cleaning and care in an intensive 2-day, hands-on workshop at our studio. This course is lead by 2 of the world’s leading museum conservators Bethany Palumbo and Fran Richie There are a few spots left, follow the link tree in bio to learn more. I hope to see you there!

01/29/2024

Most know I have made it my mission to push for more education on historic museum exhibits, the process of how they were created, and the artists who carried it out. If you don’t already, please follow us over at for more!

Here’s a rare look at the foreground artists working on Carl Akeley’s Gorilla Diorama at the American Museum of Natural History.
Botanical models including wild celery, Ruwenzori blackberry, Cusso and Tutsan trees were painstakingly created by these talented foreground artists.
We often talk about how many of the artists who built dioramas were never credited and sometimes forgotten. The least credited were the foreground artists. These individuals would accompany the expeditions and work tirelessly collecting the plants, soil, rocks, mosses, and more from the chosen site.
They were highly skilled at preserving material in the field, making molds and field notes of what could not be preserved, and packing this all safely for a return trip.
Once the construction of the diorama began, it was time to re-assemble all these parts of the puzzle exactly how they found it. This is another reason why some dioramas are valued as historic records of areas that may sadly no longer exist.

01/15/2024

Replica Great Horned Owl - 100% artificial! Custom commissions now available through our partnership with

01/11/2024

We are thrilled to announce that George Dante Studios is now the sole distributor in US and Canada for Gruber & Gruber's art work. Our collaboration with Ricardo and Guillermo is allowing us to bring our museums and private collectors a new level of hyper-realistic bird models and sculptures.
If you would like to discuss a custom project please email us at [email protected]

12/26/2023

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!! ❤️

11/28/2023

Friends, nonprofits cannot thrive without your support, and we continue to invest in because we believe in this mission. This please help us advance the numerous projects lined up for this year. 100% of your donation goes directly to project funding. Even the smallest gift can make a difference!

11/23/2023

To my family, friends, clients, and colleagues, whether your feast is fish, fowl, mammal, or plant, I’d like to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

11/15/2023

What a surprise!!! The State Museum of Pennsylvania created an exhibit on the restoration of their mammal hall! This is exceptionally well done, outlining not only restoration but the planning and building of dioramas. Every museum should have one of these! Go check this out! Well done SMOP, and thank you!!!

10/31/2023

We have been incredibly privileged to have restored more Passenger pigeons than any other studio in the country and we want to thank all the clients who entrusted their specimens with us! This wonderful piece underwent not only some intense cleaning but a replacement eye, feather fills, and re-coloring. Swipe to see some before and afters. One down, two more to go!

10/30/2023

Details….

09/26/2023

Never enough light - Passenger Pigeon restoration!

08/30/2023

Please do not ignore this. Our friend and colleague Bethany Palumbo has summarized this perfectly: “For those following this story, listen to this interview with City Councilor Greg Neitzert who is trying to save this historic collection from disposal. Disposing of a taxidermy collection based on arsenic "contamination" is beyond ridiculous. The majority of historical taxidermy worldwide contains arsenic and this can be very well managed by museums like all other risks.”

Greg Belfrage speaks to City Councilor Greg Neitzert about the future of the Delbridge Museum.

03/18/2023

I’ve been digging deep, deep, deep, into our new venture!!! Follow me over at to learn more about the history of museum exhibits and their creators! I promise I’ll be back here soon with more work from the studio…there’s so much to share, but for now, back to INHA business!

02/02/2023

Hey everyone, If you love dioramas and want to see more of our historical content and much, much more, follow me over at
Here Stephen C. Quinn assesses the Whitetail Deer Diorama while we worked at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Still one of my favorite photos!

01/26/2023

Do you have something we should archive? The Institute is building a permanent collection of material and needs your help. We are looking for old taxidermy forms, eyes, earliners, taxidermy produced by prominent historic taxidermists, plant models, fish models, specimen collections, and more. For a detailed list, check out this section of our website to learn how you can contribute.
https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/wish-list

01/24/2023

01/24/2023

George Dante of George Dante Studios working with Monica from Somerset County Park Commission

01/23/2023

Want to learn more about what happened to this rhino by one of the country's leading conservators? Follow the link below for more information about conservator Fran Ritchie's course on "How to Store & Display Taxidermy to Prevent Damage." This course will introduce you to the "do's and don'ts" of caring for your taxidermy and help start you on the right path for your collection's care. Fran Ritchie
https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/self-guided-course-list

01/20/2023

Friends, I have been waiting to make this announcement for a long time!
Today, I officially introduce you to the Institute for Natural History Arts, a non-profit organization I began with the overwhelming support of colleagues, friends, and family. This would not have been possible without your support, and I thank each and every one of you.
I have been so fortunate to know and work with the most amazing people on this planet when it comes to natural history and all its branches. For years, we discussed a need to formally archive the history of taxidermy, model making, museum exhibits, collections, and so much more! We need to pass this information along through educational programs and enlighten everyone on the heroic efforts and artistry that went into creating them.
Together, we are going to educate and thrill you with stories, programs, classes, and events that will transport you back in time. We will offer you opportunities to learn hands-on some of these historic methods and even a few new ones. With your support, we will build a foundation for research to improve upon the way we care for aging exhibits and create their successors.
Please browse the website, www.naturalhistoryarts.org join us as a Member or Fellow, donate to help us carry out our mission, email us for volunteer opportunities, and of course, follow us on facebook, Instagram, and Twitter .

01/20/2023

Huge announcement coming tomorrow! If you’re passionate about natural history, taxidermy, dioramas, collections, and want to learn more…..stay tuned!

This is David Schwendeman of Milltown NJ working on an immature bald eagle. This bird can be seen today in the American Museum of Natural History where Mr. Schwendeman was the last staff taxidermist. Photo credit ANNH Photo Archives.

10/13/2022

Friends I am honored again be one of this year’s judges at this incredibly fun event! Don’t miss this opportunity- follow the link for tickets http://bit.ly/Taxidermy2022 See you there!

08/18/2022

I have always said one of the greatest pleasures of my job is the people I get to meet. It’s always fun to work with our state museum in Trenton NJ and today I had a great visit with Dr. Dana Ehret who is Assistant Curator of Natural History. Dana’s a NJ native who’s interest in paleontology lead him to degrees in Marine Biology, Geology, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology. His Master’s work focused on growth and skeletochronology in extinct tortoises from the Nebraska Badlands, so we thought it would be fitting for a photo with our death mask of Lonesome George. Keep a close eye on Dana and his projects at the New Jersey State Museum, go down and visit!

07/28/2022

Had the great pleasure of working today at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown Pennsylvania. If you haven’t been here yet, put it on your list. This amazing collection of pre-industrial revolution tools and artifacts is just incredible, especially the way it’s laid out as per Henry Mercer’s original vision.

06/04/2022

Fuzzy dinosaur….maybe two….dog tired boss…

05/14/2022

Regardless of how many of these I have worked on over the years, it’s like the first time all over again. Always thankful, inspired, and respectful.

04/22/2022

Enjoyed a very productive day at the Academy of Natural Sciences yesterday and witnessed something amazing. Here the Academy’s Jennifer Sontchi, and Stephen C. Quinn discuss how we might now improve upon the beloved Tiger diorama. What many don’t know is that Mr. Quinn’s older brother John Quinn is responsible for creating this diorama. John Quinn was a great artist and naturalist and served on the Exhibit Staff of the Academy as an artist/preparator for approximately 10 years. While there, he also illustrated the book - The Birds of South America - by Academy ornithologist Meyer DeSchaunese. At the age of 16, Stephen Quinn would often assist his brother at the Academy and helped him collect the bamboo you see in this exhibit. Dioramas touch people on many different levels, and once you unearth some of the history behind them, it is nothing short of incredible. Show your love for this art form and continually support the institutions who celebrate them! Stop by the Academy and look at this diorama with an entirely new perspective.

02/11/2022

Couldn’t find a specimen for the Jackknife clam so had to make the shells. Now painting the soft color markings on the inside.