John James Audubon (1785–1851)

Having finished an autobiography of John J. Audubon not long ago, I thought it was a propitious moment to read through this book. It is a collection of over 200 paintings of birds by Audubon. There is a lengthy introduction by Ludlow Griscom about the state of conservation in America in the 1950s. Also, he wrote a very brief description of each bird and how they were doing at the time of publication.

Audubon was able to paint several species before they went extinct. I am happy to say that show more most of the species mentioned as very rare or endangered in the 1950s have recovered to "Least Concern" status today. I know this because I looked them up as I read the book. However, there are a few species which were common then but are losing ground now, due to human habitations expanding into their territory. Hopefully we can find ways for both species to coexist and thrive.

It was a joy to look at these pictures. show less

Richard Rhodes, author most recently of the excellent biography John James Audubon: The Making of an American, has edited another very useful Audubon volume, the Everyman's Library Audubon Reader. A collection of personal letters, autobiographical writings, and chosen segments of Audubon's extensive ornithological species accounts, this volume offers an open window into the writings of one of America's greatest naturalists through his own words. Rhodes has edited wisely, drawing from a wide show more range of materials covering the entire scope of Audubon's life and works.

For any Audubon enthusiast or nature-writing fans in general, this book will happily fill a gap on your shelf. Whether read straight through or dabbled at will, I recommend Rhodes' effort highly. show less

These are the original volumes. Fascinating as well as disappointing in knowing that Maria (the granddaughter) edited the journals omitting more of the human parts and relationships and then destroyed those parts. Illustrated.

Every artist has to start somewhere, and Harvard University Press' sumptuous new collection Audubon: Early Drawings provides a fascinating look at some of the John James Audubon drawings now in the collections of Harvard's Houghton library. These show Audubon in the learning process, as he was still developing his style of portraying birds in lifelike poses rather than in the stiff, portrait-style positions favored by his predecessors.

Houghton Curator of Modern Books and Manuscripts Leslie show more Morris provides a foreword to the volume, introducing the collection and how the drawings came to be at Harvard. Audubon biographer Richard Rhodes contributes an essay on the artistic and stylistic influences of Audubon, and there is an essay by Scott V. Edwards, Curator of Ornithology and Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, on the scientific sources used by Audubon (including Buffon, Wilson, Pennant, Willughby and Catesby). Edwards also captions each image with a short comment on the species portrayed.

Plates 1-68 cover American species, with Plates 69-111 showing European species and the final four plates depicting exotic birds (drawn from captives or specimens) and two mammal species. The reproduction quality is excellent, with each plate given a full page in the large oblong volume.

A necessary addition to the shelves of any Audubon fan.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-review-audubon-early-drawings.html show less