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Audubon's Birds of America

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Boxed folio 50 paintings suitable for framing. Each large print has info on subject on reverse.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1838

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About the author

John James Audubon

470 books35 followers
Such volumes as The Birds of America (1827-1838) collect naturalistic detail and artistic sensibility of noted engravings of Haitian-born ornithologist John James Audubon.

This able French painter expansively studied to document all types, and his illustrations depicted habitats. People consider his finest major work, a color-plate book, entitled and ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species.

After 1819, Audubon went bankrupt, and people threw him into jail for debt. He drew portraits, particularly death-bed sketches, which country folk greatly esteemed before photography, to earn the little money. He wrote, "[M]y heart was sorely heavy, for scarcely had I enough to keep my dear ones alive; and yet through these dark days I was being led to the development of the talents I loved."

Audubon made some excursions west, where he expected to record species that he missed, but his health began to fail. In 1848, he manifested signs of senility, his "noble mind in ruins." He died at his family home. People buried body of Audubon close to the location of his home at 155th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, city of New York. An imposing monument honors him at the cemetery, the center of the heritage rose district.

Influence of Audubon on history reached far. His high standards inspired nearly all later works. Charles Darwin quoted Audubon three times in On the Origin of Species and also in later works. Despite some errors in field observations, he made a significant contribution to the understanding of anatomy and behavior. People still consider the greatest examples of book. Audubon discovered 25 new species and 12 new subspecies.

In recognition of his contributions, people elected him to the royal society of Edinburgh and the Linnaeans.

The open homestead of mill grove in Audubon, Pennsylvania, contains a museum, presenting and including all his major works, to the public.

The museum at state park in Henderson, Kentucky houses many of his original watercolors, oils, and personal memorabilia.

In 1905, people incorporated and named the national Audubon society in his honor. Its mission "is to conserve and restore ecosystems, focusing on birds..."

The postal service of the United States honored him with a 22¢ great series stamp.

On 6 December 2010, auction of Sotheby sold a copy for $11.5 million, the second highest price for a single printed book.

On 26 April 2011, Google displayed a special doodle on its global homepage to celebrate his 226th birthday.

Named:

Audubon park in New Jersey. He drew many street signs in Audubon Park.
Audubon, Pennsylvania, also has the Audubon sanctuary. Most of the streets in this small town are named that he drew.
Audubon Elementary School, Audubon, Pennsylvania
The Audubon Institute, a family of museums, parks and other organizations in New Orleans, eight of which bear the Audubon name.
The Audubon Park and country club in Louisville, Kentucky is in the area of his former general store.
Several towns and Audubon County, Iowa.
In Louisiana, John James Audubon Bridge (Mississippi River); Audubon Park & Zoo, New Orleans.
The northbound span of the Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges was originally named the Audubon Memorial Bridge.
John James Audubon State Park and the Audubon Museum (located within the park) in Henderson, Kentucky.
Audubon Parkway, also in Kentucky, is a limited-access highway connecting Henderson with Owensboro, Kentucky.
Rue Jean-Jacques Audubon in Nantes and Rue Audubon in Paris.

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Johnnysbookreviews .
658 reviews11 followers
March 5, 2026
I felt like all the birds looked the same, but it might be because the background color was the same. Anyways, the pictures were good though.

- A real picture helps me identify the birds more easily than a painted picture.

Definitely a fancy tabletop table book that I would recommend getting.
Profile Image for Lex Beucler.
60 reviews
November 9, 2025
Stunning printing of Audubon’s Birds of America. Lovely foiling and edge printing. I wish each print was full paged. Good introduction.
Profile Image for Grace B.
258 reviews15 followers
January 10, 2026
I got this beautiful edition as a gift from my husband. Gorgeous illustrations of nature's precious creatures. Audubon masterfully captured them in detail and feeling. The amount of love I feel for birds cannot be contained in my heart. What a great way to start the year. :)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews