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   Scroll down the page for news about Audubon including information on exhibitions and other events

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NEW BRASHER SET!  I just acquired a complete 12-volume set of Rex Brasher's Birds and Trees of North America. Inscribed by Brasher in Volume I ("To my friend Frederic F. Walcott with deep appreciation of his keen interest in Wild Life") , my research suggests that the set was (incorrectly) inscribed to Frederic Collin Walcott (1869-1849), a United States Senator from Connecticut (1929 to 1935), and later a regent of the Smithsonian Institution (1941 to 1948). Walcott was well known and recognized for his conservation work. Numbered 28 (of 500 intended copies, later changed to 100 copies, but about 110-120 copies completed), about half of these sets are located in libraries and other institutions. The set includes 867 hand-colored photogravures and offset lithographs.  This is a unique opportunity to buy a set of Brasher's work in the form that he intended. Please contact me for more information.

NEW WEBSITE IN DEVELOPMENT.  After over 10 years, I am doing a home-page to last-page revision of the website.  I expect the new website to debut sometime in January -- probably closer to the end of the month than the beginning. The new website will have much improved navigation that will allow visitors to explore the prints and books areas with far fewer clicks.  I will also have many exciting new items that I have not had time to include on the old site.  Among the new prints will be many great new Havells (including PL 40 Little Screech Owl and PL 191 Willow Grous), a lovely Bien print of the Carolina Parrot, and a flock of first octavo birds. If you want to find out more without waiting, just contact me for more information. Over time, the new site will include videos and a blog, but these will probably not be ready for the new site debut.

NEW BOOKS.  I have some fun new books, most notably all four volumes published by the Club of Odd Volumes in 1929 and 1930, including the rare two-volume set of Audubon's letters and the equally rare two-volume set (in slipcase) of Audubon's journals.  These are beautiful books in excellent condition. See the listings.

AUDUBON OCTAVOS.  I have many new first edition octavos, some of which are not yet listed.  If you are looking for anything specific that is not listed, please contact me.  I might have one available, but if not, I'll find it for you!

We have a few complete fascicles (subscription parts) from the octavo edition of The Birds of America and one from The Quadrupeds of North America. These are the original booklets that the Audubons distributed to their subscribers.   Rare under any circumstances, these booklets are often found damaged or incomplete.  We have several available, each complete and in very good condition. See the bird fascicles.  See the quadruped fascicle.

AN OPPORTUNITY WITH SOME NEW HAVELLS.  minniesland.com has some new Audubon folio prints. Among the new prints are the Little Screech Owl, the Red-tailed Hawk, the Black-shouldered Hawk and the Long-legged Avocet.  Interested in any of these prints? They need conservation, but if you contact me before I send them to a conservator, you can get a very good deal and I will help you get the print conserved.  I have done this before with some clients, and it is a great option for those on a tight budget.

BRASHER RETURNS. I have a very nice selection of 80 Rex Brasher bird prints, all water and wading birds (ducks, geese, swans, herons, egrets, flamingo, spoonbill, ibises). These colorful prints are an ideal size, large enough to make an impact on their own, but small enough for groupings. These prints are moderately priced and very decorative  -- great value!  Brasher's work is much more impressive in person than website photos convey, and these prints are in wonderful condition.

NEW CHOICES IN FINE AUDUBON REPRODUCTIONS.  Minniesland.com now has a larger selection of facsimile prints of popular and hard-to-find Havell Edition images, all offered for $600 or less.  (A facsimile is a full-sized reproduction.)  Also available are some facsimiles of select animals images from Audubon's Imperial Folio Edition.  

AUDUBON'S HAIR. It sounds strange, but I have acquired a lock of John James Audubon's hair. It was sold in London in June 2011, the auction catalog describing time and place of the gift but not to whom it was given. It was not difficult, however, to figure it out. Read the story and see some photos.

news about Audubon

APRIL 2011 BIEN EXHIBITION / LECTURE SERIES AT CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY.  Live in or near Cleveland? Reserve your Saturdays!  The Special Collections division of the Cleveland Public Library will offer a major treat in April 2011 with a lecture series and rotating display of their Bien Edition set every Saturday in April.  This Bien Edition set is unbound and has been conserved, so this represents an excellent opportunity to see some lovely and rare prints. The schedule is 

• Audubon and the Allure of Birds. Speaker Harvey Webster, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Bien Edition Pages 1-20 on display.
• The Birds and  Birders of Northeast Ohio. Speaker James McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bien Edition Pages 21-42 on display. 
• Conservation and the Nature of Birds. Speaker Sarah Mabey (Ph.D.), Ornithologist, Hiram College and the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland, Bien Edition Pages 43-64.
• No lecture. Bien Edition Pages 65-84 on display.  
• The Art of Audubon. Speaker Henry Adams (Ph.D.), Case Western Reserve University. Bien Edition Pages 85-105 on display.

For more information visit the library's website. Can't make it to the exhibit? You can still enjoy the photos of a large portion of the set posted by the library: 

RECORD-BREAKING SALE IN LONDON OF THE DOUBLE ELEPHANT FOLIO.  On December 7, 2010, Sotheby's sold a fine set of the Havell Edition of The Birds of America in London for about $11.5 million. This result sets a new record for the sale of a printed book at auction. The buyer Michael Tollemache, a London fine art dealer, paid over $26000 per print.  But very few Havell Edition prints are offered for such high prices.  The vast majority of original Havells are priced in the far more modest range of $3000 to 5000. Yes, these are prints in VERY GOOD condition!  So maybe a Havell is not as unaffordable as it would seem just watching the news!

AUDUBON TRAVELING EXHIBITION. The traveling exhibition John James Audubon: American Artist and Naturalist is now at The Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee (February 4 - May 1, 2011). The exhibition traces Audubon's life and development as an artist, and features original paintings and drawings. The tour will continue on to the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center in Longmont, Colorado (June 4 - August 28, 2011), and conclude at the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Alabama (October 13, 2011 - January 7, 2012.

AUDUBON DOCUMENTARIES. We recently stumbled on a posting of a very good 30-minute documentary entitled John James Audubon: The Birds of America. Circa 1985, this documentary was produced by the National Gallery of Art and distributed by the US Information Agency to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Audubon's birth. According to the summary, the video highlights Audubon's development as an artist with quotes from his journals, and illustrations from his original paintings, his prints and from other artists of the period. Images of Audubon's art are interwoven with live nature photography and footage of significant sites (including the area where Minniesland was located). We are now presenting this documentary in our lounge area -- see the documentary.

A new documentary on Audubon's time in Louisiana -- based on the Danny Heitman book A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House (Louisiana State University Press, 2008) -- aired in December on Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB).  Entitled A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon in Louisiana, the program can be seen "on demand" on the LPB website, but only for a "limited time." To watch "on demand," click to visit LPB's A Summer of Birds page, scroll past the video viewing screen, and click on the words "Winterfest Special!"  There is additional information about the documentary available online through the links on this page.

AUDUBON IN HENDERSON. "Although the arrival of the Audubon family in 1810 may have gone relatively unnoticed, the 200th anniversary of their coming to Henderson is a cause to celebrate."  So wrote Alan Gehret, Museum Curator, in a newsletter of the John James Audubon State Park in Henderson KY.  The Audubon in Henderson Bicentennial festivities began on Audubon’s birthday in April 2010, and continues through the year.  Visit the website to get the latest news and participate in the celebration.

Interested in past articles or news items?  See our archive.

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Last updated 12.14.11