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AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 1
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 2
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 3
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 4
Thumbnail of AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 1
Thumbnail of AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 2
Thumbnail of AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 3
Thumbnail of AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851. The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. image 4
Lot 177
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851.
The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia: J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844.
Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including the Dodge Family Autograph Collection, Natural History, Travel and Americana
23 October 2019, 13:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$35,075 inc. premium

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AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851.

The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York & Philadelphia: J.J. Audubon & J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844.
7 volumes. 8vo (255 x 162 mm). 500 hand-finished lithographed plates. Subscribers, or new subscribers, lists to each volume. Without half-titles. Contemporary green morocco, blind-stamped decoration on covers, spines gilt ruled and gilt lettered in 5 compartments, edges gilt. Top joint of volume I cracked and spine separating from text block, browning to endpapers and flyleaves, offsetting to tissue guards, occasional spotting.
Provenance: Dr. Patrick Macauley (1791-1849), Baltimore physician (bookplate).

FIRST AND "MOST DESIRABLE" OCTAVO EDITION, SUBSCRIBER'S COPY, with plates superior to subsequent editions which were published with plates having an "objectionable" tinted background. Audubon's royal octavo edition of The Birds of America was the most extensive American color plate work of the time, containing 65 images not present in the elephant folio. Dr. McCauley's name appears in the list of subscribers on p 250 of Volume I. Bennett p 5; Nissen IVB 51; Reese 34; Sabin 2364; Wood p 208; Zimmer p 22.

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