The Composite Plates of Audubon’s Birds of America

Despite all that has been written about John James Audubon and his work, one aspect had been overlooked, until now…In 1838, as John James Audubon’s monumental creation, Birds of America, was nearing completion, he requested his engraver, Robert Havell, produce 13 extra, unique prints. Havell was instructed to combine images from two separate plates into a single print, commonly known as a Composite Plate. Only two full sets, along with a handful of individual prints, of these rare prints exist today and are rarely if ever seen by the public. In this book the authors, for the first time, provide an analysis as to how and why these plates were made, while providing illustrations depicting all 13 of the Composite Plates.