AUDUBON’S BIRDS OF AMERICA, 1861 OCTAVO EDITION, WITH 500 HAND-COLORED PLATES: “ONE OF THE FINEST ORNITHOLOGICAL WORKS EVER PRINTED,” BEAUTIFUL SET IN PUBLISHER’S MOROCCO, WITH AUDUBON AUTOGRAPH TIPPED IN
AUDUBON, John James. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York: Roe Lockwood & Son, 1861. Seven volumes. Royal octavo, original full blind-tooled brown morocco, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.
Lockwood Audubon, an early octavo edition, containing 500 superb tinted and hand-colored lithographic plates, with numerous in-text anatomical wood-engravings, with an inscription by Audubon tipped to the front pastedown: “I remain yours truly & sincerely attached, John J. Audubon.” In publisher’s full morocco bindings.
One of the most spectacular collections of ornithological prints ever produced and a landmark attempt to document the birds of North America. “The most splendid book ever produced in relation to America, and certainly one of the finest ornithological works ever printed… Audubon insisted on drawing from life, never from stuffed specimens, and was much in advance of his time in portraying the birds (in many cases unrecorded species) in their natural surroundings… The courage and faith of the Audubon family is breathtaking… This immense undertaking, this unparalleled achievement, was not the production of a great and long-established publishing house, nor was it backed by a wealthy institution. It was the work of a man of relentless energy, with no private fortune… It is a story without equal in the whole history of publishing” (Great Books and Book Collectors, 210-13).
The second and subsequent octavo editions differed most notably from the first octavo in the addition of tinted lithographic-wash backgrounds to the plates. “The lithographs in all of the later editions are identical and of the same value” (Clark & Bannon, Handbook of Audubon Prints). Sometime after 1870, the octavo lithographic stones were destroyed when they fell through the floor of a Philadelphia warehouse (Tyler, Audubon’s Great National Work, 129, 165n). For first octavo editions, see: Grolier 45. Nissen IVB 52. Anker 19. Sabin 2364.
Very infrequent faint foxing to text, only rarely affecting bright and beautiful plates, hand-coloring vivid. Publisher’s full morocco bindings handsome, one joint expertly repaired. A beautiful set in excellent condition, especially desirable with Audubon’s signature.