Birds of America 1840-44

Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and their Territories. New York, J. J. Audubon; Philadelphia, J. B. Chevalier, 1840-44. 7 vols.

In 1840, Audubon and his two sons determined to issue a reduced-format version of his monumental Birds of America in order to make the subject more accessible to the general public. The result, a large octavo, was populated with 500 hand-colored lithographs by John T. Bowen, accompanied by a slightly revised version of Audubon's Ornithological Biography. Published after the double-elephant folio, this edition presented to Audubon an opportunity to include prints of paintings completed after its publication.