The Passenger Pigeon

Following the publication of Audubon’s monumental double-elephant folio Birds of America, this smaller format seven-volume Royal octavo set was published beginning in 1840. Intended to be more affordable and therefore have appeal to a wider audience, it contains 500 hand-colored plates accompanied by Audubon’s descriptive text placing each bird in its natural habitat.

Displayed here are Audubon’s images of the Carolina Parakeet and Passenger Pigeon. Large flocks of each of these birds would have darkened the skies while Audubon sought out examples for his Birds of America and he had ample opportunity to select and acquire ideal specimens. The last known captive Passenger Pigeon, died in 1914, and the last known captive Carolina Parakeet died in 1918, adding to the value of Audubon’s art as a historical record. Both were inhabitants of the Cincinnati Zoo.

John James Audubon (1785-1851).
The Birds of America. New York, Philadelphia: J.J. Audubon; J.B. Chevalier, 1840-44.

Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/259201

A version of this text has been digitized and is available through The Internet Archive.

Digitized Version