Audubon's Great Blue Heron. (Click to enlarge).
Audubon's Columbia Jay. (Click to enlarge).
WHAT could turn out to be the world’s most expensive book will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York on January 20. John James Audubon’s The Birds of America: The Duke of Portland Set is estimated at $7-10 million, but could go higher. Completed and published over eleven years from 1827 to 1838, this magnificent four volume set of 435 hand-colored engravings is one of only a few known unbound copies in existence. At the present time, 107 copies remain in institutions and 13 are in private hands. A new world record for a printed book sold at auction was established at Sotheby’s in London for another copy in December 2010 when one sold for £7,321,250.
The monumental format of this work (double elephant folios of over 3 ft. high) was due to Audubon’s insistence on life-size illustrations and his determination to depict all the known species found in North America. (All images copyright Christie’s Images). (See post on antiquesandartireland.comfor December 7, 2010).
UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR $7.9 MILLION WHICH WAS WITHIN ESTIMATE BUT FAR SHORT OF THE RECORD OF AN EQUIVALENT $11.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2010 IN LONDON.
Audubon's Carolina Parrot. (Click on image to enlarge).
Audubon's Wild Turkey. (Click to enlarge).