ORIGINAL AUDUBON / HAVELL BIRDS OF AMERICA PRINTS

This page is for collectors of actual original Audubon/Havell edition etchings.  Havells are the most sought after of all of Audubon's work.  Extremely rare, there were only about 200 of each image ever produced.  The value increases year by year, as most of these are found only in museums today. To purchase, please call 908-510-1621 or send us an email. 

Plate 93, The Sea Side Finch
Outstanding original with bright coloring.
24 3/4" w x 37 7/8"  $8,400
Please order by phone.  908-510-1621

 

 

 

 

PLATE LXXXVI - Black Warrier, Falco Harlani

Audubon is well known for his portrayals of members of the "hawk" group (subfamily Accipitrinae). In North America at the time of Audubon the term "falcon" was used as a genus annotation for many of the Accipidriae, including true hawks as well as kites, eagles, harriers and buzzards. Loosely, it also referred to any bird of prey other than the owls.

We are offering a double elephant folio, full sheet, Black Warrier, Plate 86, Havell Edition with full watermark. The sheet size is 24 3/4" x 38". ( It is slightly trimmed along the binding edge). The sheet underwent minor conservation in 2010 to de-acidify and stabilize the paper. There are no tears or mars on the sheet and the images are excellent in color. This is a magnificent portrayal of both the male and female and is sought after because of the regal and defiant stance of the birds. This is a gret print for the lover of raptors.

Price: $9500  SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT AMERICAN HEN  (American Turkey Female)  $35,000   

We  are offering for sale one of the earliest prints of the Great American Hen and Young.  This full sized, double elephant folio, sheet is believed to have been printed in the engraving shop of Wm. Lizars in Edinburgh and carried by Audubon to London where it was colored by R. Havell Sr. (following the failure of the colorists employed by Wm. Lizars to complete early production requirements of the second number While JJ Audubon  and the Havell’s were negotiating to engrave and color the remaining  425+ plates to complete the “Birds of America”, R. Havell Senior agreed to color enough sheets of the second number to fill the few subscriptions already sold.   (As you know, Lizars, in Edinburgh, engraved the first number (Plates I to V), and then couldn’t complete the second number (Plates VI to X) on schedule due to a strike by his colorists...forcing Audubon to London to seek out the Havell's).  When the Havell’s took over the commission, R Havell Jr made changes to the plate for the later sheets produced. This print pre-dates those changes. The complete watermark can be seen on the print: J Whatman Turkey Mill 1827.   This print has been through initial restoration and preservation by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, in Philadelphia.  It had been laid down, needed cleaning and had margin tears. It's so rare a print however, that it was worth the effort to stabilize and then restore the print.  CCAHA has removed it from the board to which it was attached, neutralized the paper, cleaned the print and sealed all margin tears. A longer tear (approx. 5”) running horizontally below the breast of the adult and above the chicks was also repaired. The color is very bright and did not need conservation.   Some margin paper was missing in the top right corner of the sheet (above the head) and also missing from behind the tail along the left margin.  A small notch of paper was also missing from the lower left margin (which included the first three letters of the word “Drawn”).   The CCAHA restoration included addition of paper at the site of each of these  voids.  We have taken great care to stabilize the print without “erasing” through over-conservation, age blemishes associated with this print.  A CD is available that documents the restoration by CCAHA, and they would execute additional work should the purchaser have interest in further restoration. This is truly a beautiful, intriguing and important early piece for a collector of rare works.

Priced at:  $35,000.      

 

 

Republican Cliff Swallow, Plate 68, No. 14

Petrochelidon pyrrhonata Engraved by R. Havell, Junr. Printed & Coloured by R. Havell, Senr. London__1829.

For Sale: Cliff Swallow. The plate size of this sheet is 19 ½” x 12 ¼”. The sheet is 22 1/5 x 32”, and was slightly trimmed, possibly to fit an earlier frame. The watermark, J Whatman, Turkey Mill appears on the upper right with trimming through the lower line of the watermark. Minor conservation performed in July 2010 consisting of neutralization of the paper and light cleaning of the print. There are no tears or mars on the print. The colors are very bright and true, and consisting entirely of the beautiful browns and oranges seen in the bird and in its natural habitat.

This composition depicts cliff swallows during nesting season as seen in the high rocky regions of the country. The nests are ornithologically correct with several birds clustered in the community rookery. This plate not only depicts the birds, but was intended to educate the viewer to the bird habitat and life cycle as we notice a broken nest and a solitary egg that has come to rest on a ledge below the other nests. A female bird looks down from above at the lost egg giving an anthropomorphic quality to the composition.

Although Cliff swallows are still most numerous in the West, ranging from Mexico to Alaska, their range expanded in the 1800’s following the development of eastern North America for agriculture and the erection of structures suitable for nesting sites. In 1817, breeding pairs were documented in New York and their territory became widespread by the beginning of the 20th century. In the modern day the range has declined following the introduction and spread of the House Sparrow, a species that seems to dispossess Cliff Swallows by taking their nests and destroying any eggs already laid.(Cornell University)

Price $2300

 

 

 

Plate 49 (XLIX): Blue-green Warbler

Original Havell Edition hand-colored copper-plate engraving with etching and aquatint. This print has been moderately trimmed to a dimension of about 18-1/2” X 26”. The deep prominent plate mark (image matrix) is entirely intact and measures about 12-1/4” X 19-1/4”. There are wide margins around the plate mark for easy framing. No Whatman watermark can be seen. However, this print is guaranteed to be an original Audubon Havell Edition print. This print is in overall excellent condition. There is a professionally repaired 1-1/2” tear at the left margin, which does NOT come close to the plate mark. There are 3 tiny scattered fox marks, and a tiny black ink mark near the lower right corner of the plate mark. The coloring is excellent (see close-up photo). $1400.00. Please add $25.00 for packing materials and FLAT fully insured UPS Ground shipping to the U.S.   SOLD

Plate 89 : Nashville Warbler, Variant 1

Hand-colored engraving with aquatint and etching with a partial J Whatman watermark along the top right edge. Sheet size 24 7/8" X 17". Two tears along the top edge, and minor unobtrusive white coloration at lower left corner area (mostly outside the plate mark). Exceptional original colors.

$2,500