Frank the Bear

RGC were commissioned to create a new display that would tell the unique story of how Frank the Bear became part of Macquarie Universities, School of Biological Sciences. Frank was 3 metres tall, dark and from some angles quiet startling, he once weighed 550 kilos. Frank has been an imposing presence at the University for over 35 years, he is much loved by students and staff and even has his own Facebook page.

We researched Frank’s story, found images that correctly identified what he would have looked like when alive and focussed the biological story on how Frank’s taxidermy proved to be so challenging. His skin was removed from the body, cleaned, and treated with alcohol. Frank’s body shape was recreated using a wooden frame coated in mesh and foam. His coat was then pulled over the frame and the newly cloaked Kodiak bear was padded with cotton wool to define the muscles. A plaster cast was used for the head to capture the finer details. After nine months of extensive preparation, Frank was returned to his former stature to take up pride of place in his new home.

The new display has proven to been very popular and helped to capture and engage a wide range of people, the story of Frank the bear has been brought back to life in the corridor at the school of biological sciences.

Services Provided
Research
Concept
Photography
Design & Artwork
Production Management