Search results
QL674 .A9 1827 [ 1 ] The Birds of America is a book by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, containing illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States. It was first published as a series in sections between 1827 and 1838, in Edinburgh and London. Not all of the specimens illustrated in the work were collected by Audubon ...
- John James Audubon
- 1827
Jan 20, 2022 · First published 20 January 2022. Date Last Updated: 20. John James Audubon was a self-taught ornithologist and artist. The Birds of America, Audubon's collection of lifelike drawings, was a feat of artistry, technical skill and determination. Its 435 engraved plates, published between 1827 and 1838, broke the mould of bird illustration by ...
John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin, April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French-American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictorial record of all the bird species of North America. [1] He was notable for his extensive studies ...
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was not the first person to attempt to paint and describe all the birds of America (Alexander Wilson has that distinction), but for half a century he was the young country’s dominant wildlife artist. His seminal The Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, quickly eclipsed Wilson’s work and is ...
- Overview
- Drawings
- Legacy
John James Audubon (born April 26, 1785, Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue, West Indies [now in Haiti]—died January 27, 1851, New York, New York, U.S.) was an ornithologist, artist, and naturalist who became particularly well known for his drawings and paintings of North American birds. Audubon’s name is associated with a number of bird-related organizations, including the National Audubon Society; however, his personal history as an enslaver, white supremacist, and critic of emancipation has made him a controversial figure in American history.
The illegitimate son of a French merchant, planter, and slave trader and a Creole woman of Saint-Domingue, Audubon and his illegitimate half sister (who was also born in the West Indies) were legalized by adoption in 1794, five years after their father returned to France. Young Audubon developed an interest in drawing birds during his boyhood in France. At age 18 he was sent to the United States in order to avoid conscription and to enter business. He began his study of North American birds at that time; this study would eventually lead him from Florida to Labrador, Canada. With Frederick Rozier, Audubon attempted to operate a mine and then a general store. The latter venture they attempted first in Louisville, Kentucky, and later in Henderson, Kentucky, but the partnership was dissolved after they failed utterly. Audubon then attempted some business ventures in partnership with his brother-in-law; these too failed. By 1820 he had begun to take what jobs he could to provide a living and to concentrate on his steadily growing interest in drawing birds; he worked for a time as a taxidermist and later made portraits and taught drawing, and his wife worked as a governess.
Britannica Quiz
Ultimate Art Quiz
By 1824 he had begun to consider publication of his bird drawings, but he was advised to seek a publisher in Europe, where he would find better engravers and greater interest in his subject. In 1826 he went to Europe in search of patrons and a publisher. He was well received in Edinburgh and, after the king subscribed to his books, in London as well. The engraver Robert Havell of London undertook publication of his illustrations as The Birds of America, 4 vol. (435 hand-coloured plates, 1827–38). William MacGillivray helped write the accompanying text, Ornithological Biography, 5 vol. (octavo, 1831–39), and A Synopsis of the Birds of North America (1839), which serves as an index. Until 1839 Audubon divided his time between Europe and the United States, gathering material, completing illustrations, and financing publication through subscription. His reputation established, Audubon then settled in New York City and prepared a smaller edition of his Birds of America, 7 vol. (octavo, 1840–44), and a new work, Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, 3 vol. (150 plates, 1845–48), and the accompanying text (3 vol., 1846–53), completed with the aid of his sons and the naturalist John Bachman.
Critics of Audubon’s work have pointed to certain fanciful (or even impossible) poses and inaccurate details, but few argue with its excellence as art. To many, Audubon’s work far surpasses that of his contemporary (and more scientific) fellow ornithologist Alexander Wilson.
Audubon’s drawings inspired the founding of the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896, and additional state-level societies emerged in the years that followed. The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 as an organization dedicated to conserving and restoring natural ecosystems. By the early 21st century, the society had nearly 500 local chap...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 24, 2020 · 5. He did not found the National Audubon Society. Audubon died in 1851 after a brief period of declining mental health. The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 and named in his honor ...
People also ask
What was the birds of America?
Who wrote the birds of America?
Where can I find a book about birds of America?
Who owns a copy of birds of America?
How much did the birds of America cost?
How was birds of America printed?
The original edition of Birds of America (sometimes called the Havell Edition after its printer, and sometimes called the "Double Elephant Folio" (because of its size) was printed on handmade paper 39.5 inches tall by 28.5 inches wide. The principal printing technique was copperplate etching, but engraving and aquatint were also used.
