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How much is an Audubon folio worth?

1 Answer
How much is an Audubon folio worth?
How much an Audubon folio is worth will depend on its age, historical significance, condition and other factors. In 2018, a double-elephant folio of The Birds of America fetched $9.65 million at auction in New York City. The folio was the first major work by the American ornithologist, naturalist and painter. During his lifetime, Audubon identified 25 new species of birds. If you own an Audubon folio, consider having a certified appraiser or knowledgeable dealer assess it for you to determine how much it may be worth. On 1stDibs, find a selection of John James Audubon art.
1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
Shop for John James Audubon Art on 1stDibs
Cat Squirrel: An Original 19th Century Hand-colored Lithograph by Audubon
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Cat Squirrel, No. 4, Plate XVII", from John James Audubon's Quadrupeds of North America, published in Philade...
Category

Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Ocelot by Audubon
By John James Audubon
Located in New York, NY
Original stone lithograph with hand-coloring from "The Quadrupeds of North America. Octavo Edition" by John James Audubon. Plate LXXXVI. P...
Category

1850s Animal Prints

Materials

Paper

Roseate Spoonbill /// John James Audubon Natural History Ornithology Water Bird
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Roseate Spoonbill" (Plate 362, No. 73) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 1,200 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and J.B. Chevalier, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA Sheet size: 6.75" x 10.44" Image size: 5" x 7.63" Condition: In excellent condition Very rare The "Roseate Spoonbill" is one of the very top, absolute most desirable birds from Audubon's famous "Birds of America" series Notes: Provenance: private collection - Fleming Island, FL. Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous seven volume portfolio "The Birds of America", First Royal Octavo Edition (1840-1844), which consists of 500 hand-colored lithographs. Based on a composition painted in Florida in 1831 or 1832. "This beautiful and singular bird" was prized for its wings and tail feathers which were made into fans in St. Augustine. The roseate spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo. To make 'The Birds of America' more affordable and widely available, in 1839 John James Audubon began the first octavo edition, a smaller version of the folio which was printed and hand-colored by J. T. Bowen in Philadelphia. Employing a new invention, the camera lucida, the images were reduced in size, rendered in intermediate drawings by John James Audubon and his son John Woodhouse, and then drawn onto lithographic stones. These miniatures exhibit a remarkable amount of attention to quality and detail, as well as a meticulous fidelity to the larger works. Some compositional changes were made in order to accommodate the smaller format. Like the Havell edition, John James Audubon’s first...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Snowy Heron /// John James Audubon Natural History Ornithology Snowy Egret Bird
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Snowy Heron" (Plate 374, No. 75) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

American Crow 1858 Chromolithograph by J.J. Audubon Plate, Julius Bien Edition
By John James Audubon
Located in Paonia, CO
American Crow by J.J. Audubon from his Birds of America folio shows an adult male crow in a Black Walnut bush with a nest of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird in a branch below the crow. This original chromolithograph plate no. 226 is in good condition with a repairable water mark in the image on the left side as can be seen in the photos. The ” Birds of America” by John James...
Category

1850s Naturalistic Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

American Flamingo /// John James Audubon Natural History Ornithology Bird Litho
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "American Flamingo" (Plate 375, No. 75) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo E...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

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