1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

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1st edition octavo Audubon prints from his miniature publication of The Birds of America feature his iconic images at a reduced scale.

After the success of his Havell edition publication, Audubon began producing a second, smaller edition of The Birds of America in order to make the publication more affordable and widely available. This miniature edition, often referred to as the 1st Royal Octavo Edition, contains 500 hand-colored lithographs measuring approximately 6 ½” x 10 ¼”. The 1st edition octavo Audubon prints were lithographed and hand-colored by the studio of J.T. Bowen in Philadelphia from 1839 to 1844. Issued alongside the printed plates, Audubon included portions of his text, the Ornithological Biography, with the Octavo edition. The result was a comprehensive, highly informative work of art that catered to both naturalists and appreciators of art alike.

For more information, check out our articles Audubon Print Collecting Guide, Audubon’s Miniature Folio – The Octavo Edition of Birds of America, and What is a Lithograph?.

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 2 Red-headed Turkey Vulture

$250.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 6 Common Buzzard

$310.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 8 Harlan’s Buzzard

$140.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 12 Golden Eagle

$880.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 16 Black-shouldered Elanus

$85.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 19 Iceland or Gyr Falcon

$2,145.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 23 Gos Hawk

$475.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 25 Sharp-shinned Hawk

$360.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 32 Tengmalm’s Night – Owl

$310.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 33 Little or Arcadian Owl

$880.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 39 Great Horned Owl

$2,640.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 43 Night Hawk

$650.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 47 Cliff Swallow

$165.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 50 Bank Swallow

$55.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 52 Fork-tailed Flycatcher

$1,320.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

1st Edition Octavos - Antique Originals

Audubon 1st Ed. Octavo Pl. 53 Swallow-tailed Flycatcher

$250.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1840 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches


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What is an Engraving? A Guide to Intaglio Printmaking Techniques

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Audubon’s Miniature Folio – The Octavo Edition of Birds of America

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A Modernist Approach to Understanding a Selection of Prints from Audubon’s Birds of America

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