print room

The passenger pigeon, also called the wild pigeon, was the most abundant bird of Audubon's time. JJA writes memorably of a migration he witnessed in 1813 when flock after flock darkened the skies for days. The birds laid waste to large areas of forest through the sheer weight of their numbers, and provided easy pickings for anyone with a gun. In 1900 the last passenger pigeon ever to be recorded in the wild was shot in Ohio by a young boy who had never seen one before. Fourteen years later, the last bird of the species, a female named Martha, died in her cage in the Cincinnati Zoo.  

 

After John James Audubon. Plate 62 Passenger Pigeon from The Birds of America. Hand-colored etching with engraving and aquatint by Robert Havell. On paper watermarked J WHATMAN/TURKEY MILL/1828 and measuring 39-1/4 inches by 25-3/4 inches. First state with outstanding original color. An extraordinary composition of a bird with an extraordinary history. Print for sale in our Havell Edition area. 

NEW!  See the rare prints corner for unusual or one-of-a-kind original Audubon prints.

The Birds of America

  • Double Elephant Folio prints.  We have a large selection of plates from both the Havell Edition (1827-1838, hand-colored etchings with engraving and aquatint by Robert Havell of London) and the Bien Edition (1858-1860, chromolithographs by Julius Bien of New York).  We also have a complete set of Alecto Historical Editions' Birds of America restrikes, six top images made in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History to honor the bicentennial of Audubon's birth. Finally, who those who have octavo-sized budgets, but long for Audubon prints in the original double elephant folio size, we offer a fine selection of facsimile prints from Princeton Editons.
  • New-York Historical Society Edition of Audubon’s Fifty Best Watercolors. We have facsimile prints of fifty of Audubon's original watercolors. These fine facsimile prints have been digitally reproduced in a strictly limited edition of 200 prints.
  • Octavo prints.  From the first and later editions of Audubon's "small work" (hand-colored stone lithographs, 1840-1871).  
After John James Audubon. Northern Hare (Winter).  From the Imperial Folio edition of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America.  Hand-colored stone lithograph by J. T. Bowen, Philadelphia, 1845.  This print is for sale in our Imperial Folio area.

The (Viviparous) Quadrupeds of North America

  • Imperial Folio prints.   We have an excellent selection of these large hand-colored stone lithographs including a large number of the smaller (and less expensive) mammals.  We also have available a limited number of well-priced reproduction prints of some of the best images of this series.
  • Octavo prints.  This page offers links to both first and later editions of these smaller well-priced animal prints.  It also includes information on a very rare and complete fascicle (also called part or number).

Other artists

We currently have in stock a selection of fine prints by other important natural history artists.

  • Hummingbirds by John Gould (hand-colored lithographs, circa 1850s).
  • Hand-colored engravings by Prideaux John Selby.
  • An original 18th century hand-colored engraving after Mark Catesby.
  • Plates from Alexander Wilson's and Charles Lucien Bonaparte's American Ornithology.  We have a nice selection of second edition Wilson prints (circa 1828-1829) and a single octavo print from the 1832 Jardine edition with engraving by Lizars.  We also have the complete set of the Porter and Coates edition of the joint work (Wilson's American Ornithology as supplemented by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, 103 plates total).
  • Hand-colored original prints from Connecticut artist Rex Brasher (circa 1930s). 
  • Hand-colored engravings from a 19th century edition of Goldsmith (birds, animals, insects, and fish, plus small hand-colored engravings from late 18th century works by Buffon and Wilhelm (art by J. J. Schmuzer).  These decorative prints are beautiful and very affordable.

mystery closet

Open the door to the mystery closet to see  prints about which we are missing information. We have a new print in this area, a hand-colored lithograph of an owl on J WHATMAN 1832 paper sent in by a visitor.  Unfortunately, the print is trimmed to the image, and all text is missing.  We also have in this area two Catesbys (new information added 2/2004), a Gould (mystery solved), and a Bien reproduction (more of a rarity than a mystery).  Look in and see if you notice any new clues...or perhaps even solve the mystery.

study

Go into the study if you'd like to learn how to authenticate Audubon prints.

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Last updated 04.13.08