John James Audubon
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Audubon, John James. American Wildlife Heritage. Kent, OH: Volair Limited, 1977-1980.
11 Volumes.
Set of ten volumes reproducing selected images and texts of Audubon’s
octavo editions from The Birds of America and The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North
America. Images are reproduced randomly, so the Index in volume 11, is essential.
Useful for reading the text of individual birds in conjunction with looking at the image.
Audubon, John James. Audubon’s Quadrupeds of North America: Complete and
Unabridged. Secaucus, NJ: Wellfleet Press, 1989.
Volume reproduces the images and texts from the octavo edition.
Audubon, John James. Audubon: Writings and Drawings. New York: Library of America, 1999.
Selections and notes by Christoph Irmscher. Includes the complete text of the
Mississippi River Journal, excerpts from his 1826 journal, selected text from the
Ornithological Biography and the text of eighteen letters to friends and family. Includes
64 color plates.
Audubon, John James. The Original Water-color Paintings by John James Audubon
for “The Birds of America” Reproduced in Color for the First Time from the
Collection at the New York Historical Society. Introduction by Marshall B.
Davidson. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, 1966. 2 volumes.
Reproductions of the watercolors made by Audubon for The Birds of America with
significant comments on the works of art.
Audubon, Maria R. and Elliott Coues. Audubon and His Journals. New York: Dover
Publications, 1986. 2 volumes.
Reprint of work first published in 1897. Text of three journals (European, Labrador and
Mississippi River) believed by scholars to have been highly bowdlerized by his
granddaughter, Maria.
Blaugrund, Annette and Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. eds. John James Audubon: The
Watercolors for “The Birds of America.” New York: New York Historical
Society, 1993.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
A selection of watercolors representing Audubon’s development as an artist. This
catalogue accompanied a traveling exhibition organized by the New York Historical
Society.
Boehme, Sarah E., Annette Blaugrund, Robert McCracken Peck, and Ron
Tyler. Audubon in the West: The Last Expedition: Mammals of North
America. New York and Cody, WY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. and
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 2000.
Comprehensive study of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America and the story of
Audubon’s western journey. Published in conjunction with an exhibition curated by
Boehme, now Curator of the Stark Museum of Art.
Braun, Nancy and Robert Braun. An Audubon Concordance: Migration Through the Plate
Numbers. Fairfield, CT: American Historical Print Collectors Society, 1999.
An index for birds, plants and other images (nests, eggs, insects etc.) appearing in the
three original Audubon editions with cross references to each. Also notes the horizontal
or vertical orientation of the image.
Braun, Robert. Identifying Audubon Bird Prints: Originals, States, Editions, Restrikes, and
Facsimiles and Reproductions. Fairfield, CT: American Historical Print Collectors
Society, 2001.
Presents the identifying features of each of type of Audubon print. Color illustrations
detail the comparisons.
Chalmers, John. Audubon in Edinburgh and his Scottish Associates. Edinburgh: National
Museum of Scotland, 2003.
Durant, Mary and Michael Harwood. On the Road with John James Audubon. New York: Dodd,
Mead & Company, 1980.
Authors trace Audubon’s travels through the US and Labrador. Their accounts appear
along with those of the naturalist, each offering their own view of the journey. Includes
bird index.
DeLatte, Carolyn E. Lucy Audubon: A Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University
Press, 2008.
The first major look at the woman behind the artist, and her contributions to his life’s
work.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
Dwight, Edward H. Audubon Watercolors and Drawings. Utica and New York City, NY:
Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute and the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1965.
A catalogue of an exhibition that included a significant sampling of Audubon’s
watercolors and drawings including portraits, birds, and mammals.
Ford, Alice, ed. Audubon by Himself: A Profile of John James Audubon, From Writings Selected,
Arranged and Edited by Alice Ford. Garden City, NY: The Natural History Press, 1969.
Ford developed this “self-portrait” of Audubon from the artist’s own writings.
Ford, Alice. John James Audubon. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964.
Important twentieth century biography of Audubon with commentary on his art.
Fries, Waldemar H. The Double Elephant Folio: The Story of Audubon’s “Birds of America.”
Chicago: American Library Association, 1973. Reprint with updated appendix by
Susanne Low. Amherst, MA: Zenaida Publishing, 2006.
Fries documents the history of the making of the Double Elephant folio edition of The
Birds of America. He describes every known complete set, including the set now in the
Stark Museum of Art. This edition includes updates. Essential to the study of Audubon.
Hart-Davis, Duff. Audubon’s Elephant: America’s Greatest Naturalist and the Making of “The
Birds of America.” NY: H. Holt, 2004.
Focuses on the years Audubon spent in Edinburgh and London (1826-1838) securing
subscriptions and negotiating with engravers to bring his life’s work to fruition.
Heitman, Danny. A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press, 2008.
A look at Audubon’s brief tenure as a tutor in West Feliciana Parish, with its wealth of
birds, and its impact on his work. For DVD based on this book see below. Includes
selected color plates.
Holt, Jeff and Albert Filemyr. Composite Plates of Audubon’s ‘Birds of America.’ Philadelphia:
Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, 2008.
Includes references to the plates at the Stark Museum of Art.
Irmscher, Christoph, ed. John James Audubon: Writings and Drawings. New York: The Library
of America, 1999.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
A comprehensive collection of Audubon’s writings, including journals, memoirs, and
correspondence. Includes selected color plates, chronology, notes on text. General and
ornithological index.
Low, Susanne M. A Guide to Audubon’s “Birds of America:” a Concordance Containing
Current Names of the Birds, Plate Names with Descriptions of Plate Variants, a
Description of the Bien Edition and Corresponding Indexes. New Haven, CT and New
York: William Reese Company & Donald A. Heald, 2002.
Comprehensive guide to the double elephant folio edition of The Birds of America
presenting the current name (common and scientific) of the bird, the name used by the
artist on the plate legend and variants. Includes black & white image of each plate and a
description, many with related quotes from the Ornithological Biography. Notes, if
applicable, the location of the bird in octavo and/or Bien edition.
Olson, Roberta J.M. Audubon’s Aviary: The Original Watercolors for “The Birds of
America.” New York: New York Historical Society, 2012.
Audubon’s original watercolors for the Birds of America, photographed with state of the
art techniques. Published in conjunction with a special exhibition.
Oppenheimer, Joel. “The making of the Bien edition.” Audubon and the Art of Natural History,
[catalogue] Chicago: Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. (2008): 14, 57-61.
Gallery owner, Joel Oppenheimer presents new research suggesting that the Bien edition
was issued at two different times. An American prospectus and advertisement for the sale
of the Bien edition along with other editions prompted the research.
Patterson, Daniel, ed. John James Audubon’s Journal of 1826: The Voyage to “The
Birds of America.” Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2011.
Patterson’s extensive notes throughout the text preserve Audubon’s authentic voice.
Introduction discusses the history and significance of the journal and explores the
editorial processes of earlier editors, Maria R. Audubon, Audubon’s granddaughter, and
Alice Ford, independent scholar
Rhodes, Richard. John James Audubon: The Making of an American. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, 2004.
An intimate biography of the artist. The author did research at the Stark Museum of Art,
consulting the correspondence between Audubon and family and friends.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
Rhodes, Richard, ed. The Audubon Reader / John James Audubon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
2006.
Anthology of writings from Audubon’s journals, letters, and published works. Audubon
letters from the Stark Museum of Art holdings are quoted here, although not identified by
the author as being in the Stark Museum of Art. The author does not cite the sources of
individual entries, reducing the scholarly usefulness of this publication.
Souder, William. Under Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of ‘The Birds of
America.’ Minneapolis: Milkweed Press, 2014.
Biography. Extensive notes, with bibliography.
Shuler, Jay. Had I the Wings: The Friendship of Bachman and Audubon. Athens: University of
Georgia Press, 1998.
A look at the relationship between these two naturalists and its contribution to Audubon’s
success.
Steiner, Bill. Audubon Art Prints: A Collector’s Guide to Every Edition. Columbia: University of
South Carolina Press, 2003.
A comprehensive guide directed to the collector of Audubon prints. Author gives his
recommendations related to buying and selling prints. Discusses how condition and other
factors affect financial value.
Tyler, Ron. Audubon’s Great National Work: The Royal Octavo Edition of “The Birds of
America.” Austin: University of Texas Press, 1993.
A discussion of the conception, production, and reception of the more widely distributed
edition of The Birds of America. The author consulted the Audubon papers in the
archives of the Stark Museum of Art in the writing of this book.
Tyler, Ron. Nature’s Classics: John James Audubon’s Birds and Animals.
Orange, TX: Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, 1992.
Catalogue of the Stark Museum of Art’s Audubon collection identifying over 200
Audubon related objects including the rare five volume set of The Birds of America, first
edition copies of all John James and John Woodhouse Audubon publications, and nearly
100 family letters. Includes selected bibliography.
Vitz, Robert C.”Audubon in Cincinnati.” Imprint 38, no. 2 (Autumn 2013): 12-17.
Audubon was hired as a taxidermist at the newly founded Western Museum
in Cincinnati. Its financial difficulties led to Audubon opening a drawing
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
school and eventually his decision to pursue the work of illustrating the birds of the
United States. Developed from talk presented to the American Historical Print Collector’s
Society, includes bibliography.
Welch, Margaret Curzon. John James Audubon and his American Audience: Art, Science, and
Nature, 1830-1860. [Dissertation] University of Pennsylvania, 1988.
This dissertation in American Civilization, explores the relationship between Audubon
and his supporters in order to explain his success.
Books for Children
Armstrong, Jennifer. Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier. New York: Harry N.
Abrams, 2003.
Picture-book biography, focusing on Audubon’s life from 1804-1812. Author’s note
includes additional information. Grades 3-5
Burleigh, Robert. Into the Woods, John James Audubon Lives His Dream. New York:
Atheneum, 2003.
A picture-book biography. Grades 3-5.
Davies, Jacqueline. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
The story of Audubon banding a family of birds to determine if the same ones would
return again in spring. Grades 2-4.
Plain, Nancy. This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon.
Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2015.
Young-adult nonfiction biography. Includes nineteen illustrations, most in color,
glossary, endnotes, and bibliography.
Videos
National Gallery of Art. John James Audubon: “The Birds of America.” VHS.
Washington, DC: Department of Extension Program, National Gallery of Art, 1985.
Tells the story of Audubon’s development as an artist and his commitment to
publishing his work. 29 minutes.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting. A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon in Louisiana. DVD
Baton Rouge: Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 2008.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.
Based on the book A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House, by Danny
Heitman, it provides a look at Audubon’s brief tenure as a tutor in West Feliciana Parish,
with its wealth of birds, and its impact on his work and well as Audubon’s impact on
Louisiana. 58 minutes.
Hott, Lawrence and Diane Garey. John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature. DVD. New York:
WNET, 2006.
From the American Masters Series by PBS. The story of Audubon as a self-taught artist
and self-made man. Includes extras on the printing process, how Audubon posed the
birds and a comparison of his work with a contemporary. 54 minutes. Closed captioned.
Web Site
Digital Research Library. Audubon’s Birds of America at the University of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System, 2008.
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/a/audubon/
Digital version of the complete double elephant folio set of Audubon’s The Birds of
America, accompanied by the text of the Ornithological Biography.
Selected titles may be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
You can also consult your local library.
Books not in your local library can often be borrowed through inter-library loan.
For Museum Store information call 409-886-2787 ext. 3020.
Stark Museum of Art, Research Library, 712 Green Avenue, Orange, TX 77630
Revised December 2015.