Date of Printing: 1840 • Medium: Lithograph (hand colored) • Subject Category: Natural History - Birds • Signed: Plate signed, Lower Left • Period Created: Romantic (1800 - 1899) • Plate Size HxWxD cm: N/A • Leaf Paper Size HxW cm: 17 x 26.5 • Style: Royal Octavo Edition • Print on Verso: Blank on verso • Condition: Excellent • Edition Type: 1st Edition - Limited • Paper Type: Woven • Framed: Print only
ROCK PTARMIGAN. Plate # 301; From John James Audubon's "The Birds Of America." Published by J.J. Audubon, New York, 1840. Lithography by J.T. Bowen. Original hand colored lithograph. Royal octavo edition.
In overall EXCELLENT condition. Remnant of previous binding on edge of sheet.
We are pleased to offer this beautifully original hand colored lithograph by John James Audubon (1785-1851), from his monumental first edition octavo edition of The Birds Of America. Audubon was born in Haiti and upon his arrival in America, he began his ascendancy into recording natural history in North America. He completed this massive work, covering 500 hand colored plates all set in their natural surroundings, in just over four years. He originally sold the individual plates in 100 sets of five wrapped plates. Upon purchasing the one hundred sets of five plates, the subscriber then had the plates bound into a binding of his or her choosing. Only 1200 seven volume sets were published in the first edition.
The first edition plates are easily distinguished from their later counterparts. First of all, the only edition that is fully hand colored are those prints from the first edition. In addition, later editions also had a darker background which was printed in colors as opposed to being hand colored.
The overall condition of the plates is very good. They all have full margins, full contemporary (original) coloring and the fact that this set is so incredibly difficult to find and individual plates so correspondingly expensive (the complete set now runs upwards of $120,000) makes individual prints a solid investment. The years have been very good to these particular plates as you can see.
This is a truly investment grade print with no associated apologies necessary.
Printed on thick stock paper, these plates have amazing detail. They frame up very well and look great individually or in a grouping. This print is accompanied by its text description page.
We encourage you to contact us with any particular questions you might have. Thank you for looking and please be sure and look at our other fine works by Audubon.