This striking coloured plate, lithographed on stone, printed and coloured by J. T. Bowen of Philadelphia, after a drawing by John Woodhouse Audubon with the backgrounds after Victor Audubon.

This plate was purchased from the great grandchild of the artist’s wife’s family, who acquired it through family descent. The plates in this work are considered the finest animal prints ever published in America. Unlike the Birds of America, it was produced entirely in the United States and is regarded as the largest successful colour plate book project of 19th-century.

Audubon had settled on the Hudson River and began working on documenting the animal life of North America, assisted by his son John Woodhouse Audubon.

The plates were first published in 30 parts of 5 plates each, and three separately published accompanying text volumes, written by John Bachman, appeared between 1846 and 1854.

Size: 21.6in x 27.5in (55cm x 70cm)