Lot 37: AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. The Birds of America. New York; Philadelphia, 1840-1844. 7 vols. First octavo edition. Complete with 500 plates.

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES
The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories. New York: J.J. Audubon; Philadelphia: J.B. Chevalier, [1839], 1840-1844.

7 vols. Large 8vo, contemporary dark green straight-grain morocco ruled in gilt, gilt-lettered spines and inner dentelles, a.e.g. First octavo edition, complete with 500 hand-colored lithographed plates after Audubon by W.E. Hitchock, R. Trembly and others, printed and colored by J.T. Bowen, with tissue guards, with wood-engraved anatomical diagrams in text, half-titles, and subscriber's list to each volume.

The octavo edition added 65 new plates to the double-elephant folio edition for a total of 500 plates, making it "the most extensive color plate book produced in America up to that time" (Reese). Rubbing to boards at spines and edges; ex-libris trimmed from title page all volumes; offsetting from plates to tissue guards; scattered foxing mainly affecting text leaves and tissue guards.

Provenance:
The present copy was owned by an early member of the Ark Club (Cleveland, OH), which was founded by William and Leonard Case. See full provenance, lot 38.