John James Audubon
French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter
1785 CE to 1851 CE
John James Audubon (Jean-Jacques Audubon) (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) is a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter.
He is notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats.
His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed.
Audubon identified 25 new species.
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The Atlantic Lands
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John James Audubon, renowned for having painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America, returns to America from England with his family in 1839, having finished the Ornithological Biography, life histories of each species written with Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray,
a companion work to Birds of America.
The two books are printed separately to avoid a British law requiring all publications with text to be deposited in crown libraries, a potentially huge financial burden for self-publisher Audubon.
Both books are published between 1827 and 1839.
Audubon buys an estate on the Hudson River, now Audubon Park.
He had returned to America from France in 1829 to complete more drawing for his magnum opus, on which he had begun publication in 1827.
He also hunted animals and shipped the valued skins to British friends.
At last reunited with his family, his wife Lucy having accompanied him back to England, Audubon had discovered that during his absence he had lost subscribers, some due to the uneven quality in the coloring of the plates and others were arrears in their payments.
His engraver had mended the situation of the plates and Audubon had reassured subscribers, but a few begged off to which he responded, "The Birds of America will then raise in value as much as they are now depreciated by certain fools and envious persons.”
During the 1830s, Audubon had continued making expeditions in North America with his customary energy and determination.During a trip to Key West, a companion had written in a newspaper article, "Mr. Audubon is the most enthusiastic and indefatigable man I ever knew…Mr. Audubon was neither dispirited by heat, fatigue, or bad luck…he rose every morning at 3 o'clock and went out…until 1 o'clock."
He would draw the rest of the day and return to the field in the evening, keeping it up for weeks and months.