The Birds of America from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories
Publication: 1856 V.G. Audubon; New York. Royal Octavo in Seven Volumes [Complete]
Containing 500 hand-colored plates
The second royal octavo edition of Audubon's Birds of America contains several species of birds and plants which were not present in the folio edition, as well as the fully colored lithographic-wash background not present to the plates of the previous edition.
"The most splendid book ever produced in relation to America, and certainly one of the finest ornithological works ever printed… He insisted on drawing from life, never from stuffed specimens, and was much in advance of his time in portraying the birds (in many cases unrecorded species) in their natural surroundings… The courage and faith of the Audubon family is breathtaking… This immense undertaking, this unparalleled achievement, was not the production of a great and long-established publishing house, nor was it backed by a wealthy institution. It was the work of a man of relentless energy, with no private fortune, who supported himself by hack painting… It is a story without equal in the whole history of publishing" (Great Books and Book Collectors, 210-13)
Provenance: This set still contains the original receipt with the date January 6, 1951. It was purchased from John & Jane Wilgress Used & Rare Books, and remained with the owners up until our recent acquisition.
Condition: Publishers elaborately decorative cloth, gilt edges, marbled end pages, come occasional foxing present primarily on the flyleaf, rear blank leaves, and blank side of marbled end paper, foxing lightly permeates into prelim and cover page volume 1,5,7,3 and a bit heavier in volume 4, volume 1 with light foxing on the outer edge of some pages and a 1" stain to text page 99-100, some minor occasional foxing, aesthetic scuff marks to leather of volumes 1,2,6, and 7 (spine edge), expert repairs to hinges on volumes 5,6 and 7, half inch bookseller to inner pastedown of volumes 1 through 5, , overall the set is very well preserved, an attractive and beautiful example of this important work.