Audubon's Birds of America book

As part of my research for the Lost Bird Project, I was graciously given access to the Audubon double folio housed in the rare books library at Cornell University. I arrived at the library with high expectations supported by a long interest in Audubon's work and what I felt was a solid understanding of its significance. As the book was laid out and opened, I realized that I was not at all prepared for its profound beauty.

[@Tig3rbutts]

i did not realize how utterly MASSIVE this book was! I'm so glad that efforts have been made to conserve and share these with the world.

[@vmgrd34]

What a shame that Robert Havell was unable to use non-fading inks in the production of this masterpiece. I have spent many enjoyable years bringing some of these fabulous images back to their original condition and colours. What is not generally appreciated is that Audubon frequently presented Havell with very rough sketches and collages collated from multiple paintings or even invited him to include work from other artists, for example to include some elements from the work of his good friend, Alexander Wilson. In truth, the final images owe as much to the skill of Havell as an engraver and artist in his own right as they do to Audubon. Although they are referred to as "engravings", the prints are in fact aquatints that included Havell's then secret invention of a boiled resin technique to achieve shading without having to draw hundreds of fine lines that would have been an almost impossible task on such huge plates. The very early plates produced by Lizars in Edingburgh (up to plate number 10, I believe) did not benefit from this method and so underwent some serious reworking by Havell to bring them up to his standard.

[@MrMegaManFan]

A MentalFloss article led me here and I was not disappointed -- it's a truly amazing book even if you don't admire and appreciate birds (and I do).

[@jennifermartinezovoid4977]

Great Grey Heron with blacking feathers. How many of us are fine detail oriented on the west coast Americas? Thank you for this work. The burnt Umber is striking with the other colors. Lovely cloth paper.

[@carlosaraujo1327]

brilliant. such a treasure.

[@FangOliver]

Precious video!

[@Hnubys59]

Incrivel e fantástico! sem mais comentarios....

[@ingridllinas5612]

It is a jewel.

[@McBuksti]

♪ Fawn, fawn, fawn over Audubon ♪

[@micharquette9321]

It is art

[@kazibkash615]

wow

[@wendypoginy4972]

I found a first printing of Audonbons birds of America. Today Popular Edition. Is it valuable.???

[@Maddy-mv6ls]

I have a copy of this same Aurhbon 's brid illustrations all 145 in excellent condition are these of such worth or one of the forty copies?

[@fanning_d62]

Maddy 9785778254 about 40 million

[@thomaslaffite2527]

Maddy 9785778254 Have you the books still and would you sell them?

[@robert5]

Your collection is not the full version, there are over 400.

[@henrylivingstone2800]

@@fanning_d62 Nah, the most that was paid for one is 11million and that was in 2018, in 201& another one sold for 6million.

[@henrylivingstone2800]

@@robert5 Exactly 495 or so.

[@jjdees]

Get your Audubon prints here : beautifulnatureprints.com/art/john+james+audubon

[@sayaggg6719]

Book in well mocs

[@kalpajitneog-kf9uz]

Kd pathak brings me here

[@anthonydreger5532]

good for you you found a picture book

[@downstream0114]

It's worth 10 million $.

[@Ace-qt3bo]

Hi

[@eriche8870]

@@downstream0114 yes the wife sold it for the amount. But you know what if you were to ask me with all the effort on finding all this birds and traveling and sacrifices that they are apart to accomplish this i would say its far more expensive.

[@henrylivingstone2800]

@@eriche8870 What do you mean the wife sold it? I don’t believe that you in any way have at any point in time owned Birds of America.

[@johnnythreefour2902]

Amazing to think that those few birds doodles are now worth well over 50 dollars.

[@henrylivingstone2800]

Considering splatter paintings and chalk circles are worth 50-100 million I’m not surprised, at least these have some resemblance to artistic skill.

[@thelostronin]

This book is the most expensive ever sold - a complete copy was sold by Sotheby's for 11.5 million USD.

[@oracleofottawa]

Is it true that the majority of these books of this time were hand colored by children that were slowly poisoned by the lead in the colors?

[@henrylivingstone2800]

No, if you had bothered to listen to the video they explain that an English publishing company had apprentices and workers specialized in the skill painting the illustrations.

[@thelostronin]

No. Children are notoriously messy colorers.

[@sherlyernawaty8225]

A

[@vmgrd34]

You really should not be talking whilst standing above the open book. No matter what you might think every word will cause minute droplets of spittle to land on the page to causing further little brown dots to appear in the years to come. Wear a mask next time, or don't talk standing over the work.

[@mwaddah]

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