Audubon's Birds of America Baby Elephant Folio

About this book

John James Audubon's Birds of America (originally published 1827-1838) is one of the landmarks of American art and of natural history illustration. This book is currently available from Abbeville Press in two versions.

#262525 is the Baby Elephant Folio slipcased version, measuring 30 × 38 cm, that presents all 435 of John James Audubon's brilliant hand-coloured engravings in exquisite reproductions derived from the original plates of the rare Double Elephant Folio. Although many attempts have been made to re-create the splendid illustrations in Audubon's masterpiece, nothing has ever equalled the level of fidelity achieved in this luxurious edition. Organised and annotated by Roger Tory Peterson and Virginia Marie Peterson, this volume is as informative as it is beautiful. Its fascinating introduction places Audubon in the context of the history of American ornithological art and also reproduces a wide sampling of the work of his notable predecessors and disciples, including Roger Tory Peterson's own rightfully famous paintings. A new systematic arrangement of the prints, following the modern classification of species, and descriptive captions about each bird allow us to appreciate Audubon's achievement in the light of modern ornithology.

#266710 is the Tiny Folio edition, measuring a mere 10 × 11 cm, that puts the greatest masterpiece of bird art in the palm of your hand. This miniature book presents exquisite reproductions of all 435 hand-coloured engravings from the original Birds of America. The renowned ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson and his wife, the scientist Virginia Marie Peterson, have arranged the birds in modern taxonomic order and contributed an introduction to Audubon's life and career. The Tiny Folio edition of Birds of America will be the perfect little gift for any bird lover.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Virginia Marie Peterson was a scientist and an expert on the environmental effects of oil spills. Roger Tory Peterson established himself as America's leading ornithologist with his best-selling Field Guide to the Birds. Like Audubon, Peterson received many honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Honor.