John Youngaitis, 60, is the the last of his kind in New York City. He learned Taxidermy by apprenticing for his father and has done it his entire life.
John Youngaitis standing next to one of his more impressive pieces in Middle Village, Queens on Friday, Sept. 18 2015. (NYCity News Service/Kazi Awal)
He has received projects from people of all types.
“I learned about halal from a project I did for some muslim guys,” he said. “They have to kill the animal by cutting its throat but they didn’t make the cut under the fur. I had to show them how.”
Youngaitis’ unique position as the sole taxidermist in New York makes him incredibly busy. He said his backlog included projects dating back over a year.
He was kind enough to let me snap a few shots of the back where he puts the pieces together.
An unfinished urethane bust of a deer before skin, eyes, etc. are applied in John Youngaitis’ studio in Middle Village, Queens on Friday, Sept. 18 2015. (NYCity News Service/Kazi Awal)
John Youngaitis working on an unfinished urethane bust of a deer before skin, eyes, etc. are applied–one of the many projects currently in his backlog in Middle Village, Queens on Friday Sept. 18 2015. (NYCity News Service/Kazi Awal)
John Youngaitis applying the finishing touches to one of his pieces–wiping off excess clay used to secure the eye on the bust in Middle Village, Queens on Friday, Sept. 18 2015. (NYCity News Service/ Kazi Awal)
Yougaits’ said the community as a whole enjoys the presence of the shop, especially the families with children.
“They call it a zoo but without the glass.”
A sampling of the menagerie on display inside of John Youngaits’ taxidermy the studio in Middle Village, Queens on Friday, Sept. 18 2015. (NYCity News Serivce/Kazi Awal)