Plate 161 "Clay coloured Bunting, Male, Asclepias tuberosa"

John James Audubon is best known for his elephant folio work entitled The Birds of America. A huge financial and time consuming enterprise, Audubon's original work printed and hand colored by Robert Havell in 1824 are the finest bird engravings ever produced. Because of its great size and complicated printing method these large bird prints were costly even at the time of publication. In response to this Audubon issued a smaller format edition of The Birds of America known as the royal octavo edition (reference to the paper size). Now Audubon's work was available to libraires nad public collections, as well as middle class individuals. The entire set was priced $100. in the mid 19th century - today a complete set sells at auction for between $20,000 and $35,000! This wonderul hand colored lithograph is taken from the second octavo edition printed in Philadelphia by J.T. Bowen in 1856.

Original octavo size lithogaph with full color, approx. 10 1/2" x 6 3/4" sheet size, 15" x 18" framed size.
Archivally matted and framed. Excellent original condition condition.