Birds of America by John James Audubon
John James Audubon's Birds of America is one of the most beautifully illustrated books ever published. Hailed as a masterpiece of both artistic and scientific merit, it was printed in nineteenth century England over a 12-year period. Yet fewer than 200 sets were bound and distributed.
The Origins of a Masterpiece
It was Audubon's goal to paint every North American bird in its natural habitat, in life-sized poses that illustrated the identifying features of each species. To make his masterpiece, Audubon traveled the continent over the course of several decades, observing and collecting birds in the wild. Audubon would study each specimen, rendering them in detailed drawings that he developed into exquisite paintings, all well before the invention of photography. In total, Audubon documented 1,065 individual birds from 506 different species. The remarkable collection of prints was later accompanied by a four-volume Ornithological Biography, written with Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray. These volumes provided additional background on the lifestyles, habits, and features of each bird.
"Double Elephant" Folio
The first-edition, "double elephant" folio owned by The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is one of between 160 and 180 copies published in this, its original format. Only 110 are known to have survived. The term double elephant refers to its extra-large pages. The folio includes 435 prints made from copper engravings of original paintings by Audubon. The prints were hand-colored by various artists under Audubon's supervision.
The first edition of prints was issued in sets of five, over a 12-year period from 1826 through 1838, to buyers who paid large sums in advance for this treasured and widely anticipated amalgam of science and art. The kings of England and France were among Audubon's earliest subscribers.
The Museum's copy of the double elephant folio of Birds of America was donated in 1947 by John Sherwin, Jr., in memory of his father, John Sherwin, Sr., who loved and was fascinated by birds. Volume one of the four-volume Ornithological Biography that accompanies the Museum's folio includes an inscription by a previous owner of the set: Rev. P. Bronte, father of the novelists Emily, Ann and Charlotte Bronte.
About John James Audubon
John James was born in Haiti. He was the illegitimate son of Jean Audubon, a French sea captain and plantation owner, and his mistress and chambermaid, Jeanne Rabine. When his mother died during his infancy, young John was sent to France, where he was raised by his father's lawful wife, Anne Moynet Audubon. Anne adored him and was an important influence on Audubon’s creative life and personality.
At age 18, in 1803, Audubon fled the Napoleonic wars and went to live in America, initially to manage his father's 200-acre farm in Pennsylvania. There he met Lucy Bakewell, who later became his wife. He also fell in love with the natural beauty of his new home and spent much of his time wandering the landscape, hunting and collecting bird specimens. Soon, Audubon developed a technique for arranging the bird specimens with wires, so they looked lifelike and could be drawn and painted in the setting where they had lived.
Audubon left the family farm and, after several business ventures, lost everything during a widespread economic crisis that left him bankrupt in 1819. Without other options, he developed an ambitious plan to draw and publish pictures of all of America's birds in their natural habitat. Despite an impressive portfolio built up during many years of nature drawing, he was unable to find a publisher in the United States.
In 1826, he took a gamble with his limited remaining funds and traveled to Great Britain and Europe, where his art and his "American woodsman" performances describing the wildlife of his adopted land attracted considerable interest. During this time his wife Lucy remained in America with their children, supporting the family by teaching. In Britain, Audubon found two printers for his Birds of America. The first 10 plates were produced by engraver William Lizars in Edinburgh, and the remaining 425 by artist and engraver Robert Havell, Jr., in London. This is also when he began his collaboration with Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray.
Preserving a First Edition Masterpiece
Visit Audubon's masterpiece in the Harold T. Clark Library at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it is prominently displayed in a sealed glass case. One of the most important books in the Museum's rare book collection, it is a testament to one man's vision and a hallmark in the study of Ornithology.
Visit the Harold T. Clark Library for more information about additional books in the Museum's Rare Book Collection.