Audubon Prints on Display in the Library

We are excited to announce that our collection of prints from John James Audubon's Birds of America has recently been conserved! To share these beautiful prints with the public, we have also acquired a custom case that allows us to safely display them in the main reading room at the State Library.

John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His four-volume Birds of America was his attempt to illustrate every bird in America and its territories. While he was not successful in achieving that scope, he did complete 435 bird illustrations. Audubon drew each bird as life-size, resulting in some very large images that required a large page. As such, the original version of Birds of America, printed between 1827 and 1838, is often referred to as the Double Elephant Folio, on account of its large page-size.  No more than 200 copies of this version was produced at the time and only 120 are known to be in existence today – including the one in the collection at the State Library. 

In 1833, the Massachusetts General Court appropriated funding to acquire all four volumes for the State Library’s collection. The volumes were purchased by subscription directly from Audubon, the last of which was received in 1839, for a total cost $1,055.  The volumes have been part of the library’s collection ever since. However, over the years, the condition of the prints deteriorated due to handling and display. In 2020, all the volumes were sent to the Northeast Document Conservation Center so that the prints could undergo treatment. The talented conservators at NEDCC spent two years cleaning, mending, and digitizing all 435 oversized prints. We are thrilled to have them returned to stable condition!

We will be exhibiting the prints on a rotating basis, with each on display for a one-month period. Visit us now to see "Key-west Doves" – a pair of male and female birds that are surrounded by vibrant florals and vegetation. And be sure to follow us on social media and our blog to see which Audubon lands in the State Library next.

Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian