Yours Immortally – Lynn Hazan

I am the biggest wuss when it comes to horror movies, roller coasters, clowns and most importantly, dead things. When I heard about Antoinette and her taxidermy art business I was beyond curious to hear her story. We set up a time to meet at her studio in Jersey City which is right next door to E.Tittlemouse & Co! I had my reservations about visiting Antoinette in her studio, alone… While walking on Newark Ave I had various horror movies flashing through my head…will I become a piece on a mantel at the Tittlemouses?! I kid. Antoinette is so sweet and has the biggest heart. She is also truly gifted.

What is Yours Immortally? Yours Immortally is a unique, classic taxidermy art and collaborations with other artists. I created Yours Immortally to show the world the art of preserving an animal to celebrate its beauty in many different ways.

So these animals are dead obviously…. Yes, these animals are very dead

Where do you get them? I get the animal skins, which are also called hides and capes, from animals that have died from natural causes at animal farms.

Where do you do most of your work? I do most of my work in my studio, which is in the heart of downtown Jersey City.

What is the process? The process of taxidermy is highly detailed, which involves skinning of the animal, tanning the skin for preservation, sculpting the animal form and lastly, mounting the tanned skin onto the form. This process can go on for several weeks to months depending on the size of the animal.

What does that mean to get tanned? Like Snooky tanned? Haha that’s funny. Tanning means preserving the skin. Most people refer to it as turning the skin into leather .

How did you get into this? I am passionate about the profession of funeral directing and taxidermy. I am a licensed Funeral Director in the state on New York. I worked in a New York City Funeral home for about 6 years and was the lead embalmer for many high-profile cases. I beautified families’ loved ones and I still love it to this day. I wanted people to see what I can do and how I can recreate beautiful moments. I wanted to do something different. And, many pet owners would grieve so I found it natural to bring closure to their beloved pets through the art of taxidermy. Soon, I will begin offering pet funeral services too, so stay tuned!

You must have a strong stomach!! I do.

Can you tell me about your childhood, where you not scared of dead things? I was born in Jersey City, (now called the Beacon) but shortly after, we moved to Lima Peru. My father wanted us to learn the Peruvian culture and how to speak Spanish. I remember living in Peru and seeing a dead corpse for the first time. It was a man who died from a tragic accident…that’s when I was hooked on the human anatomy. Several years later, we moved to upstate New York. My mom went to school for respiratory therapy and I always loved looking at her pathology and anatomy textbooks. So you can say I had a passion at a young age.

I had a black cat and his name was Cupid…he was the best cat ever!! He would always bring dead animals to the front door. I would feel so bad but curious at the same time, so I started to dissect. When I found out about funeral directing, I fell in love. I signed up at the American Academy McAllister of Funeral Services and became a funeral director. Then I went to a taxidermy trade school in Pennsylvania and became a Taxidermist. That’s my story.

Wow. I am amazed. I don’t even know what to ask you! Do you have instances where people’s pets die and you preserve them? Yes, I actually I just finished preserving a pet rabbit and his name was Magic. When she came to pickup magic, she was so happy. She couldn’t wait to take him home and show her family. This is why I do what I do.

Ok, so her bunny died, she gave you her dead pet bunny? Yes, she called me immediately . She wanted to know what she should do and so I told her “place your rabbit in a plastic bag and seal the bag tight and put him in the freezer this slows the decomposition process”. The next day she came and dropped off magic at my studio .

So she shows up with a frozen bunny? Yup I defrosted the bunny and started working on him.

Do you have any pets? I have a cat.

What’s your view of death then? I am not afraid of it. I have been working around it for so long that I am so used to it. I’ve worked on loved ones…. I worked on my sister-in-law, on my grandmother and it’s an amazing feeling. I think it’s a gift that I have… I love-making people feel happy when they see their loved ones for the last time. I see how people are with their pets and that’s how I want to make them feel when their beloved pet dies .

You are basically putting the dead back to the state to how their loved ones remember them… Exactly.

Amazing. Where do you sell your stuff? My website www.yoursimmortally.com. My collection is also on etsy as yours immortally… or, you can schedule an appt. to view at the studio.

How long have you been doing this? About a year and half. I decided to step away from the funeral industry. So, then I decided to move into taxidermy school, with the support of my amazing husband, and now it’s been really good!

Oh geez, I feel like this thing is staring at me.

Anything else you want people to know? I want people to know that taxidermy is a form of natural art and if their beloved pet passes, I am here for them , if they choose that route. I also offer traditional taxidermy services, a shop collection, and a range of art for event rentals such as weddings, photography shoots…anything really!

A few days after the interview, the Tittlemouse’s had a Masquerade party at their store honoring Antoinette and her Taxidermy artwork. Unfortunately I was unable to attend but had my girl Kyra snap some pics for me to share the with you all! thanks girl!