The original portfolio (Havell edition) of John James Audubon’s Birds of America was printed between 1827 and 1838 and contains 435 life-size prints of North American birds. The portfolio was reproduced from hand-engraved plates with watercolor added later by hand. Audubon sold subscriptions to his prints in editions of five. This included three small, one medium, and one large with each group. Collectors often bound these portfolios into books. All the prints, large and small, were printed on Double Elephant sized paper (approximately 28″ x 39″), which was the largest sheet available at the time.

Since Audubon drew his birds to life-size scale,  we are able to print the smaller bird engraving on a smaller sheet of  approximately 16″ x 20″ size.  This smaller paper size makes it more convenient for framing them to scale. When printed this smaller size, the prints can also be displayed as an impressive grouping eithere next to each other on a wall or placed in a large grid layout of four, six, or more.

View the large (Double Elephant) sized prints here

View the medium (Elephant) sized prints here

 

Click on any image to see it larger.

The original portfolio (Havell edition) of John James Audubon’s Birds of America was printed between 1827 and 1838 and contains 435 life-size prints of North American birds. The portfolio was reproduced from hand-engraved plates with watercolor added later by hand. Audubon sold subscriptions to his prints in editions of five. This included three small, one medium, and one large with each group. Collectors often bound these portfolios into books. All the prints, large and small, were printed on Double Elephant sized paper (approximately 28″ x 39″), which was the largest sheet available at the time.

The medium sized portfolio prints of the “Birds of America” are approximately half the size of a Double Elephant print size, or around 20″ x 28″.

View the large (Double Elephant) sized prints here

View the smaller sized prints here

 

Click on any image to see it larger.

The Audubon images in this collection have been edited by me to be reprinted to the same size that Audubon had published them in his original portfolios. I worked with available high resolution files made from the Audubon prints and then cleaned up and restored these files to be simulations that are as close as possible to the originals. I have separated the files into their three sizes. The large size prints are on this page, while links to the the medium and smaller sized prints are provided below.

When digitally printed on a very fine archival paper these prints bear a striking resemblence to the original portfolio prints. Please contact me if you would like to purchase one of these prints.

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The original portfolio (Havell edition) of John James Audubon’s Birds of America was printed between 1827 and 1838 and contains 435 life-size prints of North American birds. The portfolio was reproduced from hand-engraved plates with watercolor added later by hand. Audubon sold subscriptions to his prints in editions of five. This included three small, one medium, and one large with each group. Collectors often bound these portfolios into books. All the prints, large and small, were printed on Double Elephant sized paper (approximately 28″ x 39″), which was the largest sheet available at the time.

The double elephant portfolio of the “Birds of America” was the largest, full-sized print that Audubon printed. The paper measured approximately 28″ x 39″.  Audubon drew his subjects to life size and even with this large paper he had to contort some of the birds to fit the page.

View the medium (Elephant) sized prints here

View the smaller sized prints here

Click on any image to see it larger.