The first edition of Audubon's octavo Birds of America

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES

The Birds of America. New York: Published by J.J. Audubon; Philadelphia: J.B. Chevalier, 1840-1844. First octavo edition. Seven volumes, dark blue pebbled leather blocked in gilt with a central motif of an urn surrounded by an arabesque border of an ornithological theme, almost certainly an elaborate deluxe publisher's binding, flat spines, white moire endpapers. 10 3/8 x 6 1/2 inches (26.5 x 16.5 cm); half-titles and lists of subscribers present in all volumes, 500 finely hand-colored lithographic plates after Audubon, printed and colored by J.T. Bowen, in-text illustrations. Light spotting throughout, heaviest at preliminaries and on tissue guards, a few leaves in volume VI with a marginal stain, plate 280 with an old tissue adhesion, but overall a clean copy in both text and plates, spines rubbed at joints, some separation to the rear joint of the first volume at the head, shelf-labels at foot of spines, volume V with the front hinge cracked through at the endpaper, volume VI with chip at head of spine, other minor spine defects.

A pleasing set of the first octavo edition in one of the more attractive and appropriate trade bindings we have seen. Reese notes the work as "the most extensive color plate book produced in America up to that time". The first octavo edition, expanded in both plate count and the number of species depicted, was the final Birds of America publication overseen by Audubon in his lifetime, and was designed to be available "at such a price, as would enable every student or lover of nature to place it in his library" (introduction). Bennett p. 5; Nissen IVB 51; Reese 34; Sabin 2364; McGill/Wood p.208; Ayer/Zimmer p. 22.
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