The Birds of America; from original drawings by John James Audubon, Volume 1

The Birds of America; from original drawings by John James Audubon, Volume 1

Author: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851

Year: 1827

The Birds of America One of four double elephant folio volumes. In half dark blue morocco and dark blue cloth; stamped and tooled in blind and gilt; spine gilt; blue marbled edges. Spine height: 39 inches. 435 hand-colored engravings, some with aquatint. John James Audubon was a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London & Edinburgh and of the Linnaean & Zoological Societies of London. He sold these engravings of his original paintings through subscriptions. Vol. I was published between 1827- 1830. Audubon executed 433 paintings, which in turn were made into 435 plates. The plates were issued in 87 sets of five plates. W. H. Lizars engraved the first ten plates in 1826 and 1827, but was unable to continue when his studio went on strike. Audubon in turn went to Robert Havell, Senior, who worked on some of the early plates but soon thereafter felt he was too old to undertake such a grand task. Havell’s son, Robert Havell, Junior, started helping his father with the plates. After his father’s death in 1832, Robet Havell, Junior dropped the junior from his name and continued on to complete the present work in June 1838. It’s estimated between 175 and 200 complete sets of Double Elephant f