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What is an Audubon book worth?

1 Answer
What is an Audubon book worth?
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
Shop for John James Audubon Art on 1stDibs
Bald Eagle Bird: A 1st Edition 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 1st edition John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "White-headed Sea Eagle or Bald Eagle", No. 3, Plate 14 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithogra...
Category

Late 19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Great North Diver Bird: Original 19th C. 1st Ed. Audubon Hand-colored Lithograph
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original rare and extremely collectible first edition John James Audubon hand-colored royal octavo lithograph entitled "Great North Diver or Loon", No. 96, Plate 476, from...
Category

Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Male Whooping Crane: An Original 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
By John James Audubon
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored 1st octavo edition lithograph entitled "Whooping Crane, Male, adult", No. 63, Plate 313 from Audubon...
Category

Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Wilson’s Petrel - Mother Carey’s Chicken /// Ornithology Bird Seascape Audubon
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Wilson’s Petrel - Mother Carey’s Chicken" (Plate 460, No. 92) Portfolio: The Birds of America, F...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

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

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

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