Bids for birds and beyond is your chance to enjoy the excitement of an auction in the safety and comfort of your home, with chances to win exclusive birding tours led by audubon naturalists, an opportunity to have a wild roseate spoonbill named after you, and other fun prizes in support of audubon florida programs around the state. Audubons birds of america, the national audubon society baby elephant folio. Spanning four huge volumes, plus the fivevolume ornithological biography, the american naturalists monumental birds of america is the seminal birders guide. What makes audubons the birds of america such a great and desirable book. With over 2 million downloads to date, it is one of the best and most trusted field guides for north. Theres a good reason that the book commands such high. Cloth on boards with dust jacket included, lavishly illustrated in color. The tomes complicated and protracted publication process, the stuff of bookpublishing legend, ran from 1827 to 1838, and a superlative complete set is coming to auction.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Eastern region, revised edition paperback september 27, 1994. His birds of america is a collection of 435 lifesize prints. But, despite his frequent later residencies in europe promoting and overseeing the production of the birds of america, most of his life was spent in the united states, which. The national audubon society audubon is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. The four volumes are three feet tall and among them contain. The audubon bird guide is a free and complete field guide to more than 800 species of north american birds, right in your pocket. A vintage book of bird illustrations by john james audobon was the third most expensive printed book purchased at an auction. John james audubon april 26, 1785 january 27, 1851 was a frenchamerican ornithologist, naturalist, hunter, and painter.
Christies auction house in manhattan identified the buyer only. John james audubon would be proud to know that a lifesize bird book is alive in the twentyfirst century. Built for all experience levels, it will help you identify the birds around you, keep track of the birds youve seen, and get outside to find new birds near you. The auction was a rare chance to own one of the best preserved editions of the 19th century masterpiece, with its 435 handcoloured illustrations.
But calling john james audubons masterpiece of ornithological art, the birds of america, a book is to stretch the limits of the term. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Buy online, view images and see past prices for john audubon the birds of america vol 2 new york chevalier 1840 hand colored lithographed plates 1st octavo edition nature art. Audubons newlyreleased climate report sounds the alarm for the scarlet tanager, wood thrush, ruffed grouse, and 81 other species that nest in pa. Audubons birds of america large book john james audubon 500 plates. The national audubon society book of wild birds by. Audubon, john james, roger tory peterson, and virginia marie peterson. Following that success, he returned to america and set out to issue a smaller version that would include more birds most newly discovered in the western u. The success of audubons first birds of america brought audubon worldwide acclaim. Guide to north american birds national audubon society. A member of the audubon family of botanical fame, john woodhouse audubon was a painter of portraits, wildlife, and westward migrants on the overland route.
The early spring gathering of sandhills on the platte river in nebraska is among the greatest wildlife spectacles on the continent, with hundreds of thousands of birds present at one time. John james audubons birds of america is a portal into the natural world. On june 14, one of the worlds most expensive books, john james audubons doubleelephant folio of the birds of america, will go to auction. Original watercolor paintings by john james audubon for the birds of america set. Unfollow national audubon society bird clocks to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of american birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. But birds of america by john james audubon, made in 1827, was just sold in auction to an anonymous. You wont need sothebys auction house to buy this volume, though. John audubon auction and american animals kentucky ties. See available prints and multiples, works on paper, and paintings for sale and learn about the artist.
See audubons rare bird bible before its multimillion. National audubon societys most popular book is national audubon society field gu. Considered the artists greatest triumph, the oversized fourvolume set that contains 435 handcolored prints of his watercolor drawings, published at great personal expense between 1827 and 1838, is the kind of rare book owned only by institutions and one percenters. The birds of america is a book by naturalist and painter john james audubon, containing illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the united states. It is still a standard against which 20th and 21st century bird artists are measured. While there are a handful of books in the world that may be worth more, until 20 birds of america held the record for the most money paid at auction for any single printed work. Invaluable is the worlds largest marketplace for art, antiques, and collectibles. Field guide to north american birds eastern region. See more ideas about audubon society, birds and audubon birds. Twothirds of north american bird species are at risk of extinction from climate change. Christies auctions first edition of audubons the birds. John james audubon jeanjacques audubon april 26, 1785 january 27, 1851 was a french american ornithologist, naturalist, and painter.
Birds of america held the record for the most money paid at auction for any. A silent auction of rare audubon prints, natural history. He decided on a 18 or octavo sized sheet measuring about 612 x 10. Rare birds of america book by john james audubon sells for. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of american birds and for his detailed illustrations that. As a youngster, he was his fathers sketching pupil but was more preoccupied with sports than painting. He painted, described, and put in catalogues the birds of north america.
John james audubon was an american artist and naturalist best known for his detailed paintings of north american birds. An auction for the most valuable illustrated book in the world and a featurelength crime caper both have interesting ties to kentucky. Christies auctions first edition of audubons the birds of america courtesy christies john james audubon 17851851, the birds of america. Christies auction house in manhattan identified the. On june 14, one of the worlds most expensive books, john james audubons doubleelephant folio of the birds of america, will go to auction in new york city.
National audubon society field guide to north american birds. Yeah, thats kind of john james audubon got to name a lot of birds because he described a lot of birds because he shot a lot of birds but yeah, i think its usually up to the person who does you know the scientific analysis and figures out what makes a bird unique species and then its kind of up to them to pick the latin name. John james audubon simple english wikipedia, the free. National audubon society has 199 books on goodreads with 15959 ratings. Guide to collecting john james audubon prints skinner inc. He was born in henderson, kentucky, the younger son of ornithologist john james audubon. Often cited as the most expensive book of all time, there are still 120 known intact copies of john james audubon s the birds of america which was published between 1827 and 1838. The birds of america is a book by naturalist and painter john james audubon, containing. Located in the united states and incorporated in 1905, audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission. Featuring nearly 700 vivid, fullcolor photographs, they include a detailed range map for each species.
It is named in honor of john james audubon, a franco. At the age of six he began with sea shells, and soon graduated to coins, the gateway drug. The book, which was written by saverio manetti and illustrated by. The birds of america, the viviparous quadrupeds of north america achieved an impressive 3,770,000 usd. To commemorate the books recordbreaking sale, the museum decided to display its copy for which the museum eventually paid 2200 guilders a. The biggest book on north american birds this century. In 1820, john james audubon decided that he wanted to publish a book with an illustration of every bird in north america eighteen years later, the birds of. Center programs include wildlife rehabilitation and research, conservation education and outreach initiatives, and eaglewatch a citizen science program monitoring nearly 30% of the states bald eagles.
The auction was a rare chance to own one of the best preserved editions of the 19th century masterpiece, with its 435 handcoloured illustrations, seen as a key. John woodhouse audubon artist, fine art prices, auction. At sothebys auction house in london, up on the block was audubons masterpiece, the birds of america, one of the largest and rarest. Printed between 1827 and 1838, it contains 435 lifesize watercolors of north american birds havell edition, all reproduced from handengraved plates, and is considered to be the archetype of wildlife illustration. Unfollow audubon birds of america book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. It was first published as a series in sections between 1827 and 1838, in edinburgh and london. At sothebys auction house in london, up on the block was audubons masterpiece, the birds of america, one of the largest and rarest books in the world. On june 14, one of the worlds most expensive books, john james audubon s doubleelephant folio of the birds of america, will go to auction in new york city. The sale was led by the birds of america 182738, four monumental volumes of 435 handcolored aquatint plates depicting all of the thenknown species of birds found in the united states.
National audubon society field guide to north american. Not all of the specimens illustrated in the work were collected by audubon himself, some were sent to him by john kirk townsend. The audubon center for birds of prey works to protect eagles and other raptors and their habitats. Birds of america national audubon society vol i 75th. Check out audubons hummingbirds at home, our updated citizen science program. J ohn james audubon, whose name is synonymous with american ornithology, was born in les cayes, haiti then saintdomingue in 1785, and lived in france from the ages of five to eighteen.
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