Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions
What is an Audubon book worth?
1 Answer

How much an Audubon book is worth varies based on its age, type, condition and other factors. In 2018, a first-edition copy of The Birds of America by John James Audubon sold for $9.6 million at auction. The book was historic because it depicted birds in vivid, life-size prints. Today, it is still considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. If you own an Audubon book, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable dealer can give you an estimated value for it. Find a diverse assortment of John James Audubon art on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertAugust 20, 2024
Related Questions
- How much is my Audubon worth?1 Answer
- How much is an Audubon folio worth?1 Answer
- How are Audubon prints made?1 Answer
- What is a Worth gown?1 Answer
- Is Pomellato worth it?1 Answer
Shop for John James Audubon Art on 1stDibs
Scolopaceous Courlan: An Original 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Scolopaceous Courlan", No. 63, Plate 312 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithographed, printed...
Category
Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Whooping Crane /// John James Audubon Ornithology Natural History Wading Birds
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851)
Title: "Whooping Crane" (Plate 313, No. 63)
Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition
Year: 1840-1844
Medium: Origi...
Category
1840s Victorian Animal Prints
Materials
Watercolor, Lithograph
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
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
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
"Esquimaux Curlew": A Framed Original Audubon Hand-colored Folio Engraving
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original hand-colored folio edition John James Audubon engraving entitled "Esquimaux Curlew", Folio, Pl. CCVIII", No. 42, Plate 208, from Audubon's "Birds of America". It was engraved, printed and colored in London by Robert Havell, Jr. in 1834. It depicts a male and a female Esquimaux Curlew birds...
Category
Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints
Materials
Engraving


