Taxidermy: An Antique Re-creation of a Great Auk (†Pinguinus impennis), dated 1870, attributed to David Graham (1801-1874), York, Nth Yks, a re-creation of a full mount adult Great Auk with head slightly canted to the right, mounted within a cream painted interior, enclosed within a later single-glass display case, 52cm by 28cm by 64cm, probably one of the oldest known re-creations of the Great Auk produced. Previously offered at auction in 1913 at Stevens Auction Rooms (1820-1939), 38 King Street, Covent Garden, London, as Lot 319 - "Model of the Great Auk, in glass case", Stevens Auction Rooms was established by John Crace Stevens (1809-1859), probably in 1831, at 38 King Street, Covent Garden, London. It was concerned with the sale of objects of 'zoological or scientific interest'. Samuel Stevens (1817-1899), brother of John, joined the company as partner in 1840 and took on the management of the Auction Rooms following John's death in 1859. Sometime in the late 1890s Samuel's nephew Henry Stevens became the manager and ran the business until WWII. Post-1859 the business continued to use the name of John Crace Stevens through its advertised sales as if he were still alive.
For many years it was the leading London auction house for ethnographic material. Catalogues of many of the ethnographic sales can be found in the library of the British Museum and in the British Library.

To include an original letter from G. Salmon dated October 1986 - "During restoration by Mr Sharples at Nottingham Museum, old newspaper, local to York and dated November 1870, was found beneath the false rock. Information obtained from York Museum suggests that the taxidermist may be David Graham (1801-1874). The original case was infested with woodworm and only the glass was retained. The Auk was treated for historic moth attack and re-cased".