Read about our limited-edition museum-authorized publications of Audubon’s artwork
Since its inception in 1999, our publishing company Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with major institutions to make their holdings available as modern facsimile prints. Several of our most notable collaborations to produce Audubon’s artwork are with the Field Museum, The New-York Historical Society, and The American Museum of Natural History. In partnering with these institutions, we make a selection of their holdings available to the public as limited-edition, museum-authorized fine art prints. This guide outlines the different Audubon folios produced by Oppenheimer Editions.
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All Oppenheimer Editions prints are produced with state-of-the-art printing technology that allows us to capture the brilliance and nuance of the original image. Printed with archival pigments on rag watercolor paper, the Oppenheimer Editions prints are hand-numbered and embossed with our logo and that of the associated museum or institution.
birds of america
50 Best Havells – The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition
Produced in 1999, the Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition of Audubon’s Fifty Best Birds is the first facsimile edition to accurately replicate the quality of the original Audubon Havell edition of the Birds of America completed in 1838. In this edition, 50 of Audubon’s most spectacular and desirable images from the Chicago Field Museum’s Havell edition folio are produced as modern facsimile prints. Produced in a limited edition of 150, the prints can be purchased individually from $1,500 – $15,000 or as a complete set of all 50 prints for $60,000.
50 Best Havells – The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition
Audubon Havell Edition Pl. 211, Great blue Heron | By Oppenheimer Editions
Oppenheimer Field Museum Print | circa 1999 | Limited Edition of 150 | Double-elephant folio | 39 1/4 x 26 1/2 inches
50 Best Havells – The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition
Audubon Havell Edition Pl. 26, Carolina Parrot | By Oppenheimer Editions
Oppenheimer Field Museum Print | circa 1999 | Limited Edition of 150 | Double-elephant folio | 39 1/4 x 26 1/2 inches
50 Best Havells – The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition
Audubon Havell Edition Pl. 81, Fish Hawk, or Osprey | By Oppenheimer Editions
Oppenheimer Field Museum Print | circa 1999 | Limited Edition of 150 | Double-elephant folio | 39 1/4 x 26 1/2 inches
Bien Edition – Oppenheimer Editions
Produced in 2009, the Oppenheimer Editions publication of Audubon’s Bien Edition masterfully recreates his 2nd edition as modern fine art prints. All presented in full double-elephant folio size, the Bien Oppenheimer Edition of the Birds of America stands alone as the most impressive modern presentation of the original chromolithographs. The facsimile prints were made from a remarkable Bien edition folio from the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery collection. Issued in a limited edition of 200, the individual prints range from $500 – $1,800.
What are the differences between an Audubon Havell engraving and Bien Lithograph?
How to differentiate between John James Audubon's two Double-Elephant folio Editions of The Birds of America.
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1st Edition Octavos – Oppenheimer Editions
Produced circa 2008, the Oppenheimer Editions publication of Audubon’s 1st edition Octavos makes all 500 images available as modern fine art prints. Faithfully capturing the exact size, color, and detail of the original lithographs, the Oppenheimer Editions octavos are made from the superb original octavos in the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery collection. Published in a limited edition of 500, the Oppenheimer Editions Octavos are available from $50 – $300.
Audubon’s Watercolors – The New-York Historical Society Edition
Our collaboration with the New-York Historical Society resulted in the first ever actual-size fine art print edition of their renowned collection of Audubon’s original watercolors. Published in 2006 by Oppenheimer Editions, Audubon’s Watercolors: The Complete Avian Collection, New-York Historical Society Edition features faithful facsimiles of all 474 of Audubon’s preparatory mixed-media paintings for his monumental folio, the Birds of America. Printed at actual size and meticulously proofed to ensure complete fidelity to the originals, Audubon’s Watercolors include 39 additional images that were never included in the final printing of Audubon’s Birds of America folio. As one-of-a-kind paintings housed in the NYHS collection, the original Watercolors do not circulate on the market except in facsimile form. Produced in a limited edition of 200, the prints can be purchased individually from $400 – $18,000 or as the 50 Best Complete Set for $60,000.
Audubon’s Watercolors Octavos – The New-York Historical Society Edition
The Watercolor Octavo Edition combines the beauty of John James Audubon’s original preparatory paintings with the convenient and attractive miniature Octavo size. Working in partnership with the New-York Historical Society, we have published all 474 original watercolors for John James Audubon’s great work, The Birds of America. Produced circa 2017, the Watercolor Octavos are sold in archival frames for $375.
The Viviparous quadrupeds of north america
Quadruped Imperial Bowen Edition – Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition
Produced in partnership with the Field Museum of Natural History, this museum-authorized edition offers exact replicas of Audubon’s Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America as modern Oppenheimer Editions prints. Meticulously proofed to capture the size, color, and detail of the original lithographs, this edition offers 50 of Audubon’s finest and most desirable Quadrupeds from the Chicago Field Museum’s collection as limited-edition fine art prints. Issued in a limited edition of 150, the prints range in price from $400 – $1,200.
Audubon’s Watercolors – The American Museum of Natural History Edition
In 2009, Oppenheimer Editions collaborated with the American Museum of Natural History to make available a selection of John James Audubon’s original watercolors for The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America housed in their collection. This unique edition offers actual-size limited edition fine art prints of fifteen of Audubon’s mammals and a portrait of Audubon painted by his son John Woodhouse Audubon. Issued in a limited edition of 200, the prints range in price from $600 – $1,500.
The Quadrupeds Octavo Edition – Oppenheimer Edition
All 150 of Audubon’s miniature octavo edition prints from the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America are faithfully reproduced to the exact size, color, and specifications by Oppenheimer Editions. Produced in 2013 from the original octavos in the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery collection, these facsimile prints are issued in a limited edition of 500. The individual prints are sold for $300.
Virtually indistinguishable from the originals, our Oppenheimer Editions modern edition facsimile prints are a wonderful way to enjoy Audubon’s artwork at an affordable price point. Elevate your environment with our beautiful collection of limited-edition prints!