Evening star., 1939-08-20

SS at the Metropolitan Museum
On NTH the Worlds Fair.
te Metropolitan Museum OF Art.
claimed and a publisher was found,
first in Edinburgh and then in Lon
don. But even then all the bitches
had not been crossed. Publishers in
those days were not booksellers and
to meet the cost of publication Au-
dubon had personally to secure
funds by subscription. There were
to be more than 400 plates repro
ducing, full size, the paintings.
These were to be engraved by the
means of aquatint and colored by
hand-an expensive method-there-
fore the cost to subscribers amount
ed to approximately $1,000 each for
the complete set. To carry out the
work, 1t was thought necessary to
secure 300 subscribers and it was
fully understood that 1t would take
several years to complete the pub
lication. This was a difiicult and
uncongenial task. but it had to be
done and after potentialities in Eng
land and France had been convassed
Audubon returned to the United
States to get additional subscribers.
While here he made more paintings,
on trips to Florida and Labrador
and tried very hard to arrange for
an expedition to the Far West under
Government patronage, but without
success. The Edinburgh engraver
CIV. H. Lizars) became dissatisfied
after 10 plates were made and for
tunately the work was placed in the
hands of Robert Havell of London
and his son, who, trained under
Ackermann, were the best to be had
The Havells were most expert aqua
tinters and the color was applied by
skilled washers" ith utmost accu-
racy and understanding Some sub
scribers dropped off but others were
secured. Audubon returned to Lon
don taking with him his wife Lucy.
With them were their sons, John
Woodhouse and Victor G., both of
whom were artists and capable OF
assisting in the business details. The
latter, by the way, was elected to
membership in the National Acade-
my OF Design in 1846 and 50 re-
manned until his death In 1850.
Eleven Years Work.
1t took II year$from 1927 to 1888
to get out the great double ele-
phant folio" known as The Birds OF
America" which contained 435
plates, 1914 by 26la inches in dimen-
sions, reproducing in full color the
paintings by Audubon-and repre-
senting the effort of a life time
John Taylor Arms calls 1t "the most
beautiful aquatinted book ever pub
lished." For these folioS Audubon
secured 279 subscriptions, but in
1888 only 6 names are said to have
remained on the list. This year, 1899
in New York auction room-the
Parke- -Bernet Galleries. set con-
stituting the first edition of the
elephant folio brought the RECORD
| price OF I'll ,1UO.
An octave edition of "The Birds o1
America" was published by Audubon
in New York and Philadelphia ir
840-44-this time in seven volumes
In this edition there were 500 plates
but they were autographed ane
hand colored rather than aquatinted
These plates were accompanied BY
text taken in part from "Ornitho.
logical Biography, or an Account o1
the Habits Of the Birds Of the United
States of America" a work in Ave
volumes by Audubon published ir
Edinburgh, 1831-39. and compiled
largely with the help of William
MacGillivray from notes made BY
Audubon while on his wilderness.
journeys.
have appeared, some in reduced size
some full size and very perfect, mani.
Testing the excellence to which me.
chanical color printing has beer
brought today. But better still art
the original impressions partly per.
haps because they were done BY
hand and partly on account Of beine
so much works wrought with love q.
well as enthusiasm. The Library o.
Congress has two of the double folio
elephant editions, one in the rars
book room, the other in the Division
of Fine Arts, besides copies of thu
later publications. The Smithsonian
Institution is fortunate In having
retrieved some Of the original cop.
per plates which had found theil
way in a junk dealers hands-not
as works Of art but because of me-
talic value. Also the Smithsonian
owns two Of Audubon's orieina
drawings. But richer still Is the
New York Historical Society, which
can boast possession of approx
mately 400 Of the original waite,
colors for the Birds of America.
Other originals, very much treas
ured, are to be found in private
ownership all along the lines he
Travelled from Cincinnati to New
Orleans-and this is as 1t should be
for they deserve to be enjoyed and
cherished.
A wonderful spirit went into these
paintings by Audubon-that of q
high-minded gentleman and q sen
sitive artist tireless worker and
a great dreamer-but one with both
the determination and the power te
make his dreams come true.