A rare collection of 82 original, hand-colored engravings of birds and quadrupeds by John James Audubon will come under the hammer in New York on 5th December 2012. “The Birds of America” was published in London between 1827 and 1838 by Robert Havell.
Although some items will be purchased by art galleries for public display, most of the items will probably be purchased by private collectors. This may be a once in a lifetime to view such a large collection of original, works of “wildlife” art in one place.
John James Audubon, Proof Plate: Black Bellied Darter. Aquatint from “The Birds of America,”First edition engraving with original hand-color. Published in London between 1827 and 1838 by Robert Havell. Framed. Approximately 28 1/2 x 21 1/2”. RESERVE (Lot 47)
To view the slideshow please click on any of the images. See foot of page for more information about the auction.
The auction is being managed by Guernsey’s, an auction house with a reputation for the presentation of extraordinary properties. From the largest auction in history (the contents of the ocean liner S.S. United States) to vintage racing cars on to pre-Castro Cuban cigars and the $3 million McGwire baseball, Guernsey’s has few rivals when it comes to the presentation of wildly diverse art and artifacts.
The auction will take place at The Arader Galleries, 1016 Madison Avenue (78th Street), New York, NY 10021 on 10:00 AM PT – Dec 5th, 2012 and can be followed live through Live Auctioneers on the link Color Plate Books, Rare Maps, Natural History.
Ken Billington
Ken, a scientist by training held various management positions in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries during his professional career, enabling him to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Americas, North Africa, Asia and Japan. Ken has always been a keen photographer and bought his first telephoto lens 10 years ago. This was the beginning of his interest in bird photography. Since then he has also become an active supporter of birding and wildlife conservation.
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