Breathtaking book with a grim past goes on display
A revealing new exhibition is set to showcase one of the world’s rarest books – Birds Of America – but won’t shy away from the deeply controversial life of its slave-owning creator
LIFESIZE, with their fine feathers, pin-sharp beaks and beady eyes, they could almost take flight right off the page.
John James Audubon’s beautiful portraits of American birds captured the rosy blush on a now extinct Carolina parakeet’s cheek, the violent energy of an eagle attack on a group of docile Virginia partridges, and the delicate beauty of fluttering hummingbirds.
Driven by an obsession to record every bird species in North America, the selftaught artist spent more than a decade living and trekking in the wilderness.
Eventually the support of the Scots who championed him led to the publication of his remarkable work, The Birds Of America. Measuring a colossal one metre and containing 435 lifesize handcoloured prints, it went on to become one of the world’s best-known and rarest books.
From next month, National Museum of Scotland visitors will be able to see it in fine detail when a precious copy of the book, along with a collection of his watercolour prints and exploration of his life, are brought together in a new exhibition.
But the intricate brushstrokes that created the wispy feathers and razorsharp talons on the page hide a darker side.
A controversial figure, his work was plagued by plagiarism and fabrication claims while his legacy is soiled by his ownership of enslaved people and uncomfortable theories surrounding race and biology which he attempted to back up by stealing remains from the graves of indigenous people.
Among them are nine skulls taken from indigenous communities which later ended in the museum collection at the University of Aberdeen. The museum is now trying to identify exactly where they came from so they can be repatriated.
‘Complex realities’
ACCORDING to the National Museum of Scotland, the new exhibition will not gloss over Audubon’s grim past and will look at his more “complex, problematic realities”.
It will also focus on the key role Edinburgh society played in bringing his remarkable studies of birdlife into publication, and the stark warnings he raised over loss of habitat and hunting which would see some species he painted become extinct within a few generations.
At the same time, however, Audubon also contributed to the deaths of thousands of birds, shooting them to examine their plumage, and often pinning them into realistic poses before painting them on the spot.
He trekked America on his quest to record birdlife, with hopes that he could fund his enormous task by selling prints of his lifesize watercolours by subscription to enthusiasts. But his hopes of publishing such a grand book received little interest in his homeland.
And it would be Scotland in the latter stages of the Enlightenment that would provide the vital breakthrough.
“Audubon had gone to Philadelphia in 1824 which was the centre of American publishing at the time, but he was rejected there,” explained Mark Glancy, exhibition curator. “Alexander Wilson was a Scot and considered to be the ‘Father of Ornithology’. The people Audubon encountered in Philadelphia wanted to maintain his predecessor’s reputation. Plus, he didn’t have an academic background and people were not keen on supporting him.” Paisley-born Wilson was a poverty-stricken peddler who, having emigrated to America, taught himself to draw. He was already working on his book, American Ornithology, when Audubon – convinced he was a better artist who could create a more thorough work – began his quest.
Having been dismissed by publishers in Philadelphia, Audubon turned to London and, in particular, Edinburgh, where he hoped to meet a man he particularly admired, Sir Walter Scott. His long flowing hair, bushy sideburns and Bear Grylls-style tales of the frontier captured the imagination of Edinburgh society who simply couldn’t get enough of “the American woodsman”.
Among those who admired his work was William Home Lizars, a talented engraver and printer with impressive connections across the capital. They included Robert Jameson, keeper of
Edinburgh University’s natural history museum, who opened its doors so Audubon could explore its bird specimens and research for text to accompany his art. In return, Audubon gave a public demonstration of his method of supporting birds with wire, watched by an eager student, Charles Darwin.
‘Set the standard’
JAMESON’S colleague, William MacGillivray, whose A History Of British Birds in 1837 set the standard for British ornithology publications, helped Audubon with his research.
In return, Aubudon passed him the nine skulls which later ended up in the Aberdeen university collection.
One prominent member of Edinburgh society of the age was Captain Basil Hall, whose naval career had involved various impressive exploration and scientific voyages. He acted as Audubon’s social manager, providing a long list of impressive introductions.
One was Robert Knox, the brilliant but flawed anatomist whose dissections attracted packed audiences. Audubon visited Knox on his first day in Edinburgh and attended his lecture but blanched when it came to shaking his bloodcovered hand.
Knox went on to become embroiled in the famous Edinburgh scandal involving murderers Burke and Hare.
Audubon returned several times to Edinburgh, and was elected to a string of
prestigious societies, including the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
On one occasion, he was captured in oils by artist John Syme. The portrait, commissioned by Lizars, showed him in frontier clothes and clutching a rifle, and is now displayed in the White House.
By far Audubon’s most thrilling moment, however, was his meeting with Sir Walter Scott, who he described as “a genius from God’s hand”.
Having tried for years to have his works published, Lizars arranged to engrave his prints onto copper plates which would then be brought to vivid life by expert colourists.
But the intricate work was halted when Lizars’ employees went on strike. With excitement over Audubon’s work at a peak, a London publisher soon stepped in. The four huge volumes which make up The Birds Of America consist of 435 hand-coloured prints. It cost around £100,000 to produce at the time – around £1.5 million today – and only a handful of complete books are in existence.
Enlightenment
“LIZARS was the best engraver in Scotland, which meant Audubon was able to get the high quality of work he wanted,” said Mr Glancy. “Edinburgh, still in the later age of Enlightenment, gave him the realisation that it was possible to do this massive task.”
The exhibition, Audubon’s Birds Of America, will showcase 46 unbound prints from the National Museum of Scotland’s collection, most of which have never been on display before, as well as a rare bound volume of the book, on loan from the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.
Mr Glancy added: “The Birds Of America is one of the most beautiful and famous books in the world, and the story of its creation is extraordinary.” Birds Of America runs at the National Museum of Scotland from February 12 to May 8.