Audubon Prints – Small Portfolio
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.