Gallery One.  Ornithological Plates [1700's - 1800's]

Hooded Merganser, 1840. J. J. Audubon.  Stone lithograph with the lithography by J. T. Bowen,

Original hand-coloring. From the 'Birds of America', first Octavio Edition, 1840.


Decorative elements include two 22.5 kt. Champagne Gold Leaf Bevels and a hand-painted faux marble mat. [$900]. 

John James Audubon is probably the best known American bird artist.  He was born in the French colony of Santa Domingo [now known as Haiti] in 1785.  He was sent by his father to his plantation, Mill Grove in Pennsylvania, (possibly to avoid conscription into Napoleon's army).


I'm fortunate to have access to several of these wonderful original Audubon stone lithograph prints from the Birds of America, First Octavio Edition, published in Philadelphia from 1840-1844, with the lithography by J. T. Bowen.  This is the only edition that is entirely hand-colored. 


[There is a later edition, published by George R. Lockwood in 1871, which was produced by the firm that took over the lithographic stones from the Audubon estate.  These later Lockwood editions have added color printed backgrounds on some of the plates.]  Personally, I prefer those from the 1840 to 1844 First Edition.