John James Audubon - The Birds of America 1827-1838
The Birds of America is a book by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, containing illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States. It was first published as a series in sections between 1827 and 1838, in Edinburgh and London.
Author: John James Audubon
Sold for: USD 8.8 million
Auction house: Christie's, New York
Sale date: March 2000
Seller: Anonymous owner
Buyer: Sheikh Saud Al-Thani of Qatar
From 'Art & Antiques Magazine'
:“There is more of an attraction toward the iconic images, the big birds and the great compositions,” says New York dealer W. Graham Arader III, whose Arader Galleries specialize in works on paper, paintings, rare books and maps. “Audubon’s stuff has become top of mind. The market is very strong for the top 100 images.” These big, iconic images, says Arader, sell for between $150,000 and $350,000. And they have not done any damage to Audubon’s popularity, either. “If you walk out onto the corner of 72nd and Madison and ask people to name a 19th-century artist, all of them will say Audubon,” Arader says. As for original editions of The Birds of America, it is believed that only around 135 of the 250 first printings still exist, and almost all of these are in the hands of institutions and private collectors. When a copy of the double elephant folio edition does come up for sale, bidders certainly take note. In March 2000 Sheikh Saud Al-Thani of Qatar purchased a copy of The Birds of America at a Christie’s auction for $8.8 million, a record for any book at auction. Most recently a copy sold in December 2005 for $5.6 million.