Audubon, John James | First octavo edition of Audubon's greatest achievement

Audubon, John James

The Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York: J. J. Audubon, Philadelphia: J. B. Chevalier, 1840-1844

7 vols, royal 8vo (258 x 165 mm). Title-pages, 500 hand-colored lithographed plates after Audubon by W.E. Hitchcock, R. Trembly and others, printed and colored by J.T. Bowen, with tissue guards, wood-engraved anatomical diagrams in text, subscribers' lists present in all volumes; lacking the half-titles, foxing chiefly to text leaves but occasionally lightly affecting plates, occasional light offsetting from text to plates, but overall bright and clean, plate 17 misnumbered as 7, plate 38 not numbered, plates 188 and 187 reversed, plate 196 misnumbered as plate 100 and hand-corrected, plate 371 misnumbered as 37L, crease to plate 465 due to inherent paper flaw, plates 471 and 472 lacking tissue guards, Vol. 4 with closed marginal tear to pp. 285-7, Vol. 5 with restoration to inner margins of the last two leaves, Vol. 7 with closed marginal tear to pp. 171-4. Bound in later half brown morocco over brown cloth, spine with raised bands in 6 compartments, second, third, and fourth lettered in gilt, others blindstamped, all edges gilt; a few stray marks to cloth, mild dampstaining to boards of 2 vols.

First octavo edition. After completing the double-elephant folio edition at great expense in England, Audubon returned to the United States and used the Philadelphia firm of Bowen to produce a more profitable octavo version under the supervision of his sons. It enjoyed a tremendous success and established his reputation. The octavo edition adds 65 new images to the original plate count of the double-elephant folio. A very attractive copy.

REFERENCE:

Ayer/Zimmer 22; Nissen 51; Reese, American Color Plate Books 34; Sabin 2364; cf. Tyler, Audubon's Great National Work