author
Leon Luther Pray
b. 1882
A skilled early-20th-century taxidermist and museum artist, this writer turned hands-on craft knowledge into clear, practical guides. His work opens a window onto the world of natural history, field collecting, and specimen preparation as it was taught to amateurs and professionals alike.
1 Audiobook
Taxidermy
by Leon Luther Pray
About the author
Born on April 28, 1882, in Dowagiac, Michigan, Leon Luther Pray became known as an American taxidermist, illustrator, and museum preparator. Reliable records connected with his career show that he worked with the Field Museum in Chicago, where his taxidermy and model-making helped bring natural history displays to life.
Pray is best remembered as the author of Taxidermy, a practical manual first published in the early 1900s and later preserved by Project Gutenberg and library collections. He also wrote or contributed to other natural history works, including Common Mushrooms, reflecting a broad interest in how science could be explained clearly for general readers.
His surviving papers and artwork suggest a career built on close observation, technical skill, and patience. Pray died on September 18, 1975, in Aurora, Illinois, leaving behind work that still interests readers curious about museum craft, wildlife study, and the history of taxidermy.