WHAT IS A DOUBLE ELEPHANT?
"It is now a month since my work was begun by Mr. Lizars;
the paper is of unusual size, called 'double elephant', and the plates are
to be finished in such superb style as to eclipse all of the same kind in
existence." - J.J. Audubon, December 10, 1826
And 'eclipse all' he did! No other ornithology prints
could measure up to Audubon's - literally! As indicated above, the term
'double elephant' refers to the unusual size of the paper used by Audubon
and his engravers (Havell followed Lizars) for the original "Birds of
America." The untrimmed paper measured a gargantuan 29 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches!
By contrast, the size of paper Audubon used for his Quadrupeds was a smaller
22" x 28", and simply termed 'elephant' paper. Why such a large (double)
size? Audubon insisted that each bird be depicted life-size. When you
consider the immense proportions of subjects such as the Brown Pelican or of
the White Pelican or the American Flamingo, the necessity of choosing
'double elephant' paper becomes obvious.
But to this, Audubon himself adds ...
"Merely to say, that each of my illustrations is of the
size of nature, were too vague ... Not only is every object, as a whole, of
the natural size, but also every portion of each object. The compass aided
me in its delineation, regulated and corrected each part, ... The bill, the
feet, the legs, the claws, the very feathers as they project one beyond
another, have been accurately measured." John James Audubon. Ornithological
Biography, Volume 1
Regarding our Princeton Audubon Collection, it would also
be too vague to simply say that they are facsimiles. Our purchase of the
finest originals, the use of the direct-camera process, the choice and
development of special inks, the finest paper available, and the skill of
master printers, makes this the finest Audubon series ever produced. It
'eclipses' all others. After all, these were printed by not only a master
printer, but by one of the world's foremost Audubon print collectors. It
only stands to reason that the Princeton Audubon Collection is also unique.
We hope you will agree.
