A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House

The Hill Collection: Holdings of the LSU Libraries

by Danny Heitman

As the summer of 1821 began, John James Audubon's ambition to create a comprehensive pictorial record of American birds was still largely a dream. Then, out of economic necessity, Audubon came to Oakley Plantation, a sprawling estate in Louisiana's West Feliciana Parish. Teeming with an abundance of birds, the woods of Oakley galvanized Audubon's sense of possibility for one of the most audacious undertakings in the annals of art.
In A Summer of Birds, journalist and essayist Danny Heitman sorts through the facts and romance of Audubon's summer at Oakley, a season that clearly shaped the destiny of the world's most famous bird artist. Heitman draws from a rich variety of sources -- including Audubon's own extensive journals, more recent Audubon scholarship, and Robert Penn Warren's poetry -- to create a stimulating excursion across time, linking the historical man Audubon to the present-day civic and cultural icon. He considers the financial straits that led to Audubon's employment at Oakley as a private tutor to fifteen-year-old Eliza Pirrie, Audubon's family history, his flamboyance as a master of self-invention, his naturalist and artistic techniques, and the possible reasons for his dismissal. Illustrations include photographs of Oakley House -- now a state historic site -- Audubon's paintings from his Oakley period, and portraits of the Pirrie family members.
A favorable combination of climate and geography made Oakley a birding haven, and Audubon completed or began at least twenty-three bird paintings -- among his finest work -- while staying there. A Summer of Birds will inform and delight readers in its exploration of this eventful but unsung 1821 interlude, a fascinating chapter in the life of America's foremost bird artist. It is an indispensable pleasure for birders, Audubon enthusiasts, and visitors to Oakley House.

Genres: Birds, Animals, Nature, History, Biography, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned how Audubon was able to get up close and personal with so many birds...

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately too many people expect a biography of John James Audubon when they see the title of this book. This monograph most definitely is not one. It is an examination of a place and time that played a pivotal role in Audubon’s life and his development as a painter of birds.

The book consists of a short treatise framing Audubon’s sojourn at Oakley Plantation, where he was employed as a teacher, against the broader oeuvre of his work. It focuses upon how his art and life’s work on the Birds of America was influenced and impacted by the time that he spent at Oakley.

The treatise is accompanied by copies of the paintings definitively known to have been completed during his sojourn at Oakley, and others that may also have been completed, started or influenced by his time at Oakley.

It is an interesting read.

[Joana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my mistake as I saw a book with birds and a famous name on it and expected it to be about birds. But instead it was about a particular stay of Audubon in Louisiana where he got a lot of bird material for his later bird guide. It describes the property, family and circumstances of that Summer, guided by other sources and some speculation. There's very little about birding or birds, until the end where a number of Audubon's illustrations are presented. As I had no real interest in the character, I didn't find it very interesting.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

There really wasn't much to this book. True, it did talk at the beginning of each section about some specific happening at Oakley House, but it was maybe two paragraphs, followed by 5 pages of tangents, and then tangents on those tangents. It is not poorly written, but at only 73 pages of reading, I would estimate maybe 18-20 pages actually were about anything having to do with Audubon's time at Oakley House. The gallery of bird prints that he worked on while there serve as a very nice appendix to the book.

[Cole Buffenbarger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book overall but I wanted more. More history, more about the birds and birding, more about the interactions. More about the forays into the wilderness.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intriguing slice of international society of the early 19th century was a fascinating read. Mr. Heitman did an excellent job of researching life in the Louisiana territory, including all people, from slaves to high society. The changing flora and fauna was also interesting, attesting to the damage man has wrecked on wildlife in the past near two hundred years. The methods used by Audubon to get his realistic drawings were a revelation to me. It made me plan and make another trip to Oakley House.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like biography, history, art and info about south Louisiana, so this fit the bill. It focuses on a small bit of Audubon's life and gives insight into how he worked. Enjoyable and informative without being too deep.

[Chantal]

I've visited the Oakley house many times in LA; this book caught my eye since its set there.

[Margery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short tome about JJ Audubon'e summer months on a plantation in Louisana - mini-bio. Especially good for birders.