Photographs: Eric Harvey Brown and Laura Yan

You might imagine a more somber attitude at last night’s Fourth Annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest at the Bell House, considering that it is a competition for the most marvelous preserved dead creature, real or imagined, but the packed venue and enthusiastic crowd (ranging from hipsters and curious nerds to morbid taxidermists) made the mood anything but depressing. Entries included a bedazzled synthetic-diamond dog head, a delicate Victorian automaton bird that chirped and moved,  and deformed mermaid and lobster babies created from a taxidermist’s own skin. Some taxidermy practitioners might frown upon modern interpretations of this ancient art, but few can argue against the beauty of a dazzling chandelier that incorporates goat skulls. And the contestants were characters themselves, with anecdotes and back stories that turned each piece into something even more compelling. It’s enough to make any audience member want to start trying her hand at skinning, stuffing and mounting her first doe. Maybe.—Laura Yan