Flight: A Thrilling History of an Idea — Audubon Birds
Fish Hawk, or Osprey
Plate LXXXI (81)
From: The Birds of America
John James Audubon, 1785-1851
Engravings by Robert Havell, 1793-1878
London: J.J. Audubon, 1827-1838
Hand-coloured engraving
"The largest fish which I have seen this bird take out of the water was a Weak-Fish, such as is represented in the plate, but sufficiently large to weigh more than five pounds. The bird carried it into the air with difficulty, and dropped it on hearing the report of a gun fired at it."
John James Audubon
First there were the birds
Floating and gliding, effortlessly aloft.
John James Audubon was a 19th century naturalist and artist. Between 1820 and 1824, Audubon journeyed from Florida to Labrador capturing, mounting and drawing life-sized images of the native birds of North America. The Birds of America is a double elephant folio edition of hand-coloured engravings from Audubon's original paintings. In total there were 435 plates which were sold by subscription. Toronto Public Library's edition is one of only five complete sets of the prints in Canada.
Icelandic or Jer Falcon (Gyrfalcon)
Plate CCCLXVI (366)
From: The Birds of America
John James Audubon, 1785-1851
Engravings by Robert Havell, 1793-1878
London: J.J. Audubon, 1827-1838
Hand-coloured engraving
"Their flight resembled that of the Peregrine Falcon, but was more elevated, majestic, and rapid...When over the Puffins, and high in the air, they would hover almost motionless, as if watching the proper moment to close their pinions, and when that arrived, they would descend almost perpendicularly on their unsuspecting victims."
John James Audubon
Arctic Tern
Plate CCL (250)
From: The Birds of America
John James Audubon, 1785-1851
Engravings by Robert Havell, 1793-1878
London: J.J. Audubon, 1827-1838
Hand-coloured engraving
"Light as a sylph, the Arctic Tern dances through the air above and around you. The Graces, one might imagine, had taught it to perform those beautiful gambols which you see it display ..."
John James Audubon
Slideshow with Additional Images
