Extremely Rare Complete Set Audubon Amsterdam Edition Elephant Folios

John James Audubon (1785-1851). The Birds of America. New York: Johnson Reprint Companyand Amsterdam: The atrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd., 1971-1972. Full set of four double-elephant folio uncut volumes including all plates [435] in excellent and well-kept condition. Sold from the collection of a prominent South Carolina family.The Johnson Reprint Corporation of New York, established in 1964 by Robert Johnson,specialized in reprinting rare and valuable books in high quality reproductions making them more available to a broader audience. In 1971, this company, partnering with Theatrum OrbisTerrarum Ltd. of Amsterdam, undertook a massive bibliophilic endeavor to bring forth a full-sized, full-color facsimile edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America; from OriginalDrawings which was first published in London by the Author 1827-1838. Utilizing the superb copy purchased from Audubon’s son, Victor Gifford Audubon, through original subscription in1839 by Teylers Museum in Haarlem, Johnson’s collaborative effort brought together the best materials and ablest craftsmen of the time period to create the finest possible limited-editionfacsimile of the single greatest ornithological work ever produced.In cooperation with the Curators of Teylors, Johnson and Theatrum Orbis Terrarum followed the complex yet highly accurate process of color photo-lithography as the most effective printing method. Assigned to the task was the internationally renowned Dutch printing firm NV FotolithoInrichting Drommel at Zandervoort who saw to printing each plate in up to eight different colors.The original Havell edition was printed using hand-made rag paper and the desire for this facsimile was that such quality could be replicated. Dissatisfied with the commercially available papers, Johnson turned to traditional paper manufacturer G. Schut & Zonen (founded in 1625)which, through the use of 100% unbleached cotton rags, successfully produced a wove paper of the highest quality. Each sheet bears a watermark unique to the edition: G. Schut & Zonen [JRmonogram] Audubon [OT monogram].By late 1972, the publishers had completed this project, the result being the “AmsterdamAudubon.” It was sold by subscription in an edition of 250 numbered copies with the 435 plates(each measuring 38 ½ inches high by 26 ½ inches wide) available as four hand bound half-leather volumes (as offered here) or six unbound portfolios (36 parts in all) of loose plates. The original sale price for the portfolio set was $5940 and the hand bound volume set $6960 upon completion in early 1973. Thanks to such remarkable care and preparation, the prints have both the look and feel of the original Havell edition.Obviously, the 1827-1838 Audubon bound volumes are considered “the most spectacular color folio print series ever produced [and] one of the world’s preeminent natural history documents.(Roberta J. M. Olson) The Lord Hesketh copy sold in 2010 at Sotheby’s for $11.5 million and another set from the Duke of Portland was auctioned in 2012 by Christie’s for $8 million.The Audubon Amsterdam edition provides access to exceptional quality apparent to any discerning collector making it ever clearer that they offer the most attractive alternative to theHavell edition plates given the latter’s spiraling prices.