the library: recommended books
BANNON, Lois Elmer and CLARK, Taylor: Handbook of Audubon Prints; Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. This short, well-written book provides a brief overview of each of the major Audubon editions; not as detailed as we would like, but still helpful. The price lists (for the Havell, Bien, and Imperial Folio editions) are outdated, but will give you an idea of relative values for the plates of each series. BOEHME, Sarah E., John James Audubon in the West - The Last Expedition - Mammals of North America. With Essays by Annette Blaugrund, Robert McCracken Peck, and Ron Tyler. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers in association with the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, 2000. The most comprehensive book available on the quadrupeds, this fine and well-illustrated book was published in association with the exhibit of the same name. The four essays focus on Audubon's painting techniques, his 1843 journey up the Missouri River to paint and collect western mammals, his collaboration and friendship with co-author the Reverend John Bachman, and the publication of the Imperial Folio edition. Buy it. BRAUN, Nancy and Robert: An Audubon Concordance - Migration Through the Plate Numbers; Fairfield, Connecticut: American Historical Print Collectors Society, 1999. This reference is a collection of tables that "attempt to provide a handy reference for the birds, plants, and other images appearing in the prints of the three original Audubon editions [Havell, octavo, and Bien]; and to correlate them with each other's plate numbers, present common and scientific names, titles, sizes, orientations, and possible composite states." (Quoted from the preface.) This is a great reference for people who have trouble keeping track of plate numbers and bird names that keep changing from edition to edition. You can order it from the American Historical Print Collectors Society website, www.ahpcs.org. BRAUN, Robert: Identifying Audubon Bird Prints - Originals, States, Editions, Restrikes, and Facsimiles and Reproductions. American Historical Print Collectors Society, 2001. This 16-page color-illustrated guide includes information on how to identify whether an Audubon print is an original or a reproduction, and which edition it is from. It includes magnified illustrations that demonstrate the differences in appearance resulting from different printing and coloring techniques (e.g., how engraved lines differ from lithographic lines and how printed color differs from watercolor). Available through the American Historical Print Collectors Society, www.ahpcs.org. DURANT, Mary and HARWOOD, Michael: On the Road with John James Audubon; New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1980. A lively and interesting book that chronicles the authors' travels in the areas where Audubon lived and worked. Intersperses the writings of the authors (each writing separately) with Audubon's writings. Full of interesting facts, speculations, and reflections, this is a truly enjoyable book by two very engaging and astute writers. DURANT, Mary and HARWOOD, Michael: Audubon Magazine; In Search of the Real Mr. Audubon. Vol. 87 (May 1985), pp. 58-119. An excellent short biography of Audubon that includes many surprising facts. Beautifully illustrated. Buy it. FRIES, Waldemar H.: The Double Elephant Folio - The Story of Audubon's Birds of America; Chicago: American Library Association, 1973. An extraordinary book packed with interesting facts and historical details about the Havell Edition and Audubon. This book included the first modern census (since updated by Susanne Low) of surviving copies of the Double Elephant Folio. Unfortunately scarce, there is nothing else quite like this book, which has been called "the Bible of Audubon scholars." (This listing has been superceded by the publication of a new edition. Information on the 2005 edition.) GODDU, Joseph. JOHN JAMES AUDUBON & ROBERT HAVELL, JR.: Artist's Proofs for The Birds of America. New York: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2002. Award-winning catalogue for an important exhibition of proof or "pattern" prints used in the creation of the Havell Edition of The Birds of America. Very well illustrated, contains new information on the methods used by Audubon and Havell in creating the prints. HERRICK, Francis Hobart: Audubon the Naturalist - A History of His Life and Time; in Two Volumes. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1968. An "unabridged and unrevised republication of the second edition" of this classic biography, as published by the D. Appleton-Century Company in 1938. (The second edition is considered more definitive than the first, published in 1917.) Herrick was the first to lay out the true facts of Audubon's birth and to describe Audubon's efforts to conceal his illegitimacy. This sympathetic but honest biography includes much material from original documents (quoted verbatim) and photographs of the three houses on Minnie's Land (the original house and the two built by Audubon's sons) before they were razed in the 1930s. We recommend the second edition for reading, but we have a nice set of the first edition available for sale. Buy it. LOW, Susanne M.: A Guide to Audubon's Birds of America; New Haven and New York: William Reese Company and Donald A. Heald, 2002. An invaluable reference work. Detailed information for each of the 435 plates of the Havell Edition including states and plate dimensions. Also includes an extensive discussion on the prints of the Bien edition. Buy it. MORGAN, Ann Lee: Print Quarterly; "The American Audubons: Julius Bien's Lithographed Edition." Vol. IV (December 1987). pp. 362-379 An interesting history of the Bien edition that highlights some of the differences between chromolithography and copper-plate engraving. SHULER, Jay: Had I the Wings: The Friendship of Bachman & Audubon; Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press, 1995. Shuler briefly describes both Bachman and Audubon's early lives, but his primary focus is the myriad relationships between the Bachman and Audubon families from the time of Bachman and Audubon's meeting in 1831. Charts the ups and downs of the principals' friendship in the face of shared tragedy, shared triumph, and the difficulties experienced in the creation of Audubon's second great work, The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Shuler has some interesting material on the marriages of Audubon's sons to two Bachman daughters, and Audubon's relationship with Bachman's sister-in-law (and second wife), Maria Martin. A lively, quick-reading book. SOTHEBY'S: The Library of H. Bradley Martin, Part I - John James Audubon - Magnificent Books and Manuscripts. New York: Sotheby's. Sale of June 6, 1989. This catalogue includes photos and descriptions of many interesting and unique items, among them copies of original manuscripts for Audubon's Ornithological Biography, an important journal covering the period of Audubon's journey and first months in Britain where he went to find an engraver for The Birds of America, Audubon's correspondence with family, a complete copy of the Double Elephant Folio, a complete set of the octavo quads in the original parts, an almost complete set of the octavo birds in original parts, and many more interesting items. STEINER, Bill: Audubon Art Prints: A Collector's Guide to Every Edition. Columbia, University of South Carolina Press, 2003. This book is a must-have for anyone who collects or would like to collect original Audubon prints. Steiner provides an excellent overview of the original print editions (bird and animal, folio and octavo) plus all the expensive facsimile editions (Alecto, Amsterdam, and Abbeville among them). The book includes a fairly comprehensive discussion of reproduction prints, authentication guidelines, sample prices, lists of dealers and resources, and includes lots of fun details about the prints. Steiner is opinionated and some of the appendices reflect his occasionally esoteric interests, but the book is well written and by far the most comprehensive on the subject. There is something of interest in here for EVERY aficionado of Audubon's work. Read an excerpt. Buy it. TYLER, Ron: Audubon's Great National Work: The Royal Octavo Edition of The Birds of America; Austin: University of Texas Press, 1993. Dr. Tyler's book puts the focus on the successful popular edition of the Birds of America, with detailed information on subscriptions, sales, finances and production issues. Tyler traces the evolution of the series through subsequent printings, and also provides accounts of the publication of the Imperial Folio quads and the Bien Edition, and places Audubon in the context of American Romanticism. A compelling and valuable work. Unfortunately out of print and difficult to find. Buy it.
Last updated 02.28.09 |
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