John James Audubon and The Birds of America: A Visionary Achievement in Ornithology Illustration (Huntington Library Classics) (Hardcover)

by Lee A. Vedder (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
John James Audubon's sumptuous four-volume edition of Birds of America, published between 1827 and 1838, contains 435 hand-colored life-size prints of 1,065 individual American birds. A glorious union of science and art, it remains an unequaled achievement in ornithology illustration.
In tracing Audubon's quest to produce this groundbreaking work, Vedder draws on the artist and naturalist's own writings and the latest scholarship on his life and on Birds of America. Plates from the Huntington Library's double-elephant folio are reproduced in color, including the wild turkey, Baltimore oriole, bald eagle, and (once presumed extinct) ivory-billed woodpecker. Vedder provides with each plate a commentary on the unique characteristics of the species depicted, based on Audubon's own observations in the field.

About the Author
Lee A. Vedder is the Luce Curatorial Fellow in American Art at the New York Historical Society in New York City, serving as the primary curator of its painting and sculpture collections. She holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Maryland and specializes in British and American art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Library Press; 1 edition (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873282175
• ISBN-13: 978-0873282178
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,590,370 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but still disappointing, February 4, 2008

By	Grant McCreary "birderslibrary dot com" (GA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first part of this small book is a brief biography of Audubon. It starts with his childhood, and ends with the publication of his famous work. The remainder of the book is a selection of 24 plates from "Birds of America" with some commentary and a selection of the bird's account from his "Ornithological Biography".
This book is more of a general survey of his life and work - a great introduction, but not much in the way of details. If you're very interested in Audubon's life, then instead get one of the many recent biographies that have been written about him. And if you would like to check out his artwork, then I HIGHLY recommend Audubon's Birds Of America (The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio). It's expensive, but worth every bit of it. The folio not only reproduces the artwork gloriously, it also includes commentary on the plates by Roger Tory Peterson - a feature that I was really disappointed to find missing in this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars gift book on Audubon, March 26, 2008

By	Jean Patterson (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book includes gorgeous illustrations from the Huntington Library's copy of "Birds of America" and commentary by Audubon himself.