John James Audubon Prints - Havell Edition

Birds of America
John James Audubon’s renowned The Birds of America (London, 1827-1838) is the single most important work on North American ornithology ever produced. Audubon’s Birds consist of 435 meticulously and artistically hand-colored engravings, each measuring approximately 26” x 37”. The sheet size is commonly referred to as Double Elephant Folio. This tremendous size enabled Audubon to depict even the largest North American birds as life-size. The entire masterpiece took twelve years to complete. Sold by subscription only, the prints were sold in groups or parts of five which were later bound in large leather volumes. The first ten plates were engraved by the firm of William Lizar’s of Edinburgh; when Lizar’s colorists went on strike, Audubon chose Robert Havell Jr., a skillful engraver and talented artist, to complete the publication. The Havell edition, of which it is estimated that 175 complete sets were produced, is the first edition of this work. The aquatint engravings of The Birds of America show Audubon’s deep appreciation of his subjects’ beauty, as well as his complete understanding of their struggle to survive in nature. As a result of Audubon’s comprehensive work, American birds are among the best known and most thoroughly classified in the world. His pioneering studies afford us a glimpse of an unspoiled America, before over-hunting and urban expansion encroached on the wildlife and woodlands that so inspired the man often referred to as “The American Woodsman.”
Publication City: London Edition: Havell Edition Medium: Hand-colored aquatint, etching and line engraving. Dimensions: 25 7/8 inches x 36 1/2 inches Date: 1827-38
SELECTIONS FROM THIS WORK
3-Toed Woodpecker (Plate CXXXII) details	American Crow (Plate CLVI) details	American Ptarmigan/ Whitetailed Grous (Plate CCCCXVIII) details	American Robin (Plate CXXXI) details
American White Pelican (Plate CCCXI) details	American Widgeon (Plate CCCXLV) details	Bald Eagle (Plate CXXVI) details	Baltimore Oriole (Plate XII) details
Black Guillemot (Plate CCXIX) details	Black-backed Gull (Plate CCXLI) details	Black-Bellied Darter (Plate CCCXVI) details	Black-throated Diver (Plate CCCXLVI) details
Brant Goose (Plate CCCXI) details	Brasilian Caracara Eagle details	Brown Pelican (Plate CCCCXXI) details	Buffel-headed Duck (Plate CCCXXV) details
Burrowing Owl/Little Owl/Columbian Owl/Short-eared Owl (Plate CCCCXXXII) details	Canada Goose (Plate CCI) details	Canvas-backed Duck (Plate CCCI) details	Carolina Parrot (Plate CCCXXV) details
Columbia Jay (Plate XCVI) details	Common American Swan (Platre CCCCXI) details	Common Gull (Plate CCXII) details	Cuvier's Wren (Plate 55) details
Ferruginous Thrush (Plate CXVI) details	Fish Hawk or Osprey (Plate XXXI) details	Flamingo (Plate CCCCXXXI) details	Foolish Guillemot (Plate CCXVIII) details
Frigate Pelican (Plate CCLXXI) details	Gannet (Plate CCCXXVI) details	Glossy Ibis (Plate CCCLXXXVII) details	Golden-Eye Duck (Plate CCCXLII) details
Goosander (Plate CCCXXXI) details	Great Horned Owl (Plate LXI) details	Great Red-Brested Rail (Plate CCIII) details	Great White Heron (Plate CCLXXXI) details
Harlequin Duck Plate (Plate CCXCVII) details	Herring Gull (Plate CCXCI) details	Hooping Crane (Plate CCLXI) details	Hooping Crane (Plate CCXXVI) details
Iceland or Jer Falcon (Plate CCCLXVI) details	Kittiwake Gull (Plate CCXXIV) details	Lesser Tern (Plate CCCXIX) details	Lincoln Finch (Plate CXCII) details
Little Owl (Plate CXCIX) details	Long-Billed Curlew (Plate CCXXXI) details	Long-Tailed Duck (Plate CCCXII) details	Long-tailed or Dusky Grous (Plate CCCLXI) details
Mallard Duck (Plate CCXXI) details	Meadow Lark (Plate CXXXVI) details	Mississippi Kite (Plate CXVII) details	Mottled Owl (Plate XCVII) details
Pine Grosbeak (Plate CCCLVIII) details	Pin_Tailed Duck (Plate CCXXVII) details	Red Headed Woodpecker (Plate XXVII) details	Richardsons Jager (Plate CCLXXII) details
Roseate Spoonbill (Plate CCCXXI) details	Ruddy Duck (Plate CCCXLIII) details	Ruddy Plover (Plate CCXXX) details	Ruffed Grous details
Rusty Grakle (Plate CLVII) details	Scarlet Ibis details	Sharp-Tailed Grous (Plate CCCLXXXII) details	Snowy Heron or White Egret (Plate CCXLII) details
Snowy Owl (Plate CXXI) details	Summer or Wood Duck (Plate CCVI) details	Tengmalms Owl (Plate CCCLXXX) details	The Purple Heron [Reddish Egret] Plate CCLVI details
The Wild Turkey (Male) (Plate I) details	Trumpeter Swan (Plate CCCCVI) details	Trumpeter Swan (Plate CCCLXXVI) details	Turnstone (Plate CCCIV) details
Uria Brunnichii (Plate CCXLV) details	Velvet Duck (Plate CCXLVII) details	Virginia Rail (Plate CCV) details	Western Duck (Plate CCCCXXIX) details
White Heron Plate CCCXXXVII) details	White Ibis (Plate CCXXII) details	White Winged Silvery Gull Plate CCLXXXII) details	Willow Grous (Plate CXCI) details
Wood Ibis (Plate CCXVI) details	Woodpeckers (Plate CCCCXVII) details	Yellow Crowned Heron (Plate CCCXXXVII) details